


A Different Kind of Predator

by Lucario389



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Anthropomorphic, Blood and Gore, Clues, Crime Scenes, Death, Drama & Romance, F/M, Hostage Situations, Implied Sexual Content, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Murder, Murder Mystery, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Plot Twists, Psychological Drama, Romance, Serial Killer, Zootopia (City), Zootopia Police Department
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-10-17 09:05:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 55,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10590807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucario389/pseuds/Lucario389
Summary: 4 years have past since the Nighthowler case, with Nick and Judy dating two of those years. They love each other more than anything and have finally moved in together. All is perfect until a killer shows up and leaves the victims skinned. Judy and Nick are thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse as they follow the clues left by him to challenge them both. Rating reasons inside.





	1. Settling In

**Author's Note:**

> Before this story starts I feel obligated to give a full reason for the M rating
> 
> First of all this story depicts incredibly gory scenes enough to make some weak stomached to feel sick.
> 
> Second this story has highly controversial subjects in it that would easily offend some people.
> 
> Third this story will have a slightly disturbing scene later on in the story.
> 
> And fourth of all a lot mention are things highly illegal in most parts of the world and I personal do not enjoy them at all.

It was a beautiful day out with the sun high in the sky as a pleasant breeze moved through the air. The day itself was a lovely seventy degrees, and was expected to stay that way all day long. It was the perfect weather to go out to a park or just to socialize with friends, but this was not the case for one little rabbit. She and a certain fox were busy dragging and carrying boxes into an apartment, along with furniture suited for their particular size.

"Well that's the last of them," exclaimed Judy, placing a small box on the floor just next to the door as she looked around the apartment. It was small, but nowhere near as small as her old one. The walls were painted a bright blue, making the room look inviting. Judy began to look around as she took in all the space she had now. A small kitchen, one bedroom, a living room and a bathroom - she couldn't be happier with it all.

"Well, that didn't take too long," said Nick as he plopped down on the small couch made for two.

"Of course not, we only have that couch, a table, three chairs, a microwave and a couple of drawers, plus all of our personal stuff that only needed a couple boxes each." Judy smiled as she sat down next to him.

They sat there for a moment while Judy leaned on Nick's shoulder as she relaxed and just took it all in. Nick looked down after a few minutes to see that Judy was looking up at him.

"I don't want to move, but I guess we should at least set everything up and go enjoy the day before we waste it," said Judy as she began to sit up, but Nick wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back in.

"It's not a wasted day when I'm with a dumb bunny like you," said Nick quickly as Judy looked up to see his big smile. She could only smile back as she accepted her fluffy prison and wrapped her own arm around him, pulling him closer. After a few minutes did she began to close her eyes. A few seconds later did she open them up to see that it was dark in the little apartment and that she was in the bedroom, tucked in comfortably. She looked around to see that she was all alone and that it was also very dark outside. She was about to get up when she noticed a little light to her left and saw that it was her alarm clock, which said 11:22.

"Cheese and crackers, I slept all day!" Judy gasped as she got up and noticed that she was still in her plain white shirt and blue jeans from earlier that day. Judy left the room and headed down the short hallway to find that everything was out of their boxes and already set up. Her picture of when she graduated from the academy, alongside the picture of Nick also in his graduation suit, were hanging up on the hallway wall. Upon seeing that, she looked around to find Nick, but saw no sign of him. She looked and looked till she finally heard his snores coming from the couch. Judy smiled as she walked over and peered over the edge to see Nick sound asleep on the brown sofa.

"Oh Nick, did you really unpack for both of us, put me in bed, and sleep on the couch?" asked Judy rhetorically to herself, her gaze falling upon the string of saliva running down his face. At her comment, Nick rolled over, now slightly hanging off the couch and still sound asleep. Judy looked around one last time before deciding to head back to bed. As Judy lay in bed trying to go back to sleep, she couldn't help but let her mind wander as she thought about her new life with Nick.

"To think I've been on the force with Nick for nearly four years, and to be dating him, a fox of all things," thought Judy as she smiled, suddenly remembering the first time she brought Nick to meet her family. Boy were they surprised! Her grin grew wider when she remembered her dad passing out when Nick stepped off the train.

"Oh dad, you made everything so awkward that day," said Judy to no one in particular. Eventually, she slowly drifted off to sleep, enjoying her life's moments as they passed before her in random order, strangely enough.

Judy woke the next morning to the smell of burnt carrots, causing her to sit up quickly. "Nick how many times have I told you, you can't cook carrots like an egg!" yelled Judy as she rushed to the small kitchen. The smell was quite powerful and nauseating, causing her to gag slightly.

"I'm sorry Judy, I can never seem to make you a good breakfast," whimpered Nick before he was pushed out of the way. With a frown, Judy began to take over and tossed the burnt carrots in the trash.

"It's ok Nick, you just need to remember that you're better with your silver tongue than your butterfingers," Judy smirked as she grabbed a couple of carrots from fridge and tossed them into a steamer.

"Well you should know, Carrots," said Nick with that well-known grin on his face, causing Judy to blush bright red. Judy turned to Nick and was about to say something when she decided against it. Instead, she pointed at him.

"I guess you deserve that one since you did unpack for both of us last night," sighed Judy in defeat after a few seconds of deep breaths.

"So how did you sleep?" asked Nick as he took his cooked eggs and sat down at the small table for two and began to eat his breakfast.

"I slept really well actually," answered Judy as she looked up and just now noticed that he was dressed for work with his badge on and everything.

"Wait, what time is it Nick?" asked Judy as she frantically looked around to find a clock.

"It's 5:23 in the morning. Don't worry, I just have to head in early. You still have another hour before you go in," answered Nick, seeing her dart her head this way and that. Judy quickly calmed down and pulled her carrots out of the steamer before taking a seat next to Nick at the table and eating with him. They sat quietly for a few minutes, sating their hunger before Nick ended the silence.

"So Judy, you happy to be out of that apartment of yours now?" asked Nick after taking a drink from his cup of coffee.

"To be honest, I'm going to miss it. I mean, I lived there the entire time I've lived out here, even when I came back after leaving and quitting ZPD. Sure, the neighbors were horrible and loud, but they just grew on me," reminisced Judy as she leaned back and placed a finger on her chin.

"What about you? I can't imagine what it's like, living under that bridge for so long, but at least Mr. Big was able to pull some strings so you could at least live in that motel just on the border of Tundra Town and Sahara Square," asked Judy right before taking a bite from one of her steamed carrots.

"To be honest, I can't really describe it. All I know is that for once my life doesn't look so dark, cruel, and ugly. Ever since I met you, my entire world was turned upside down, and my life was already heading downward to begin with," Nick rubbed his eye as a tear showed up before continuing. "Judy my life was nothing but cons and taking advantage of good-hearted people for my own gain. But now, I am with the police, helping those people I've hurt in some way. It is certainly a strange but relieving feeling. I love you Carrots," finished Nick as he ate the rest of his eggs and got up.

"Nick you've told me this at least a dozen times and still you cry every time. Come here Nick," said Judy as she got up and headed over to Nick, looking up at him. Nick looked down at Judy before she grabbed his tie, pulling him closer and planting a quick kiss on his lips before speaking up again. "Go get them you sly fox. I'll see you at work in an hour!" With a smile she waved Nick goodbye as did he just before leaving the apartment and closing the door behind him.

Judy stood there for about a minute before her stomach growled, letting her know that she was still hungry. She looked to see that she had only taken a few bites from her breakfast before she decided to sit back down and finish it. After finishing her breakfast, Judy began to get ready by finding a clean blue shirt, pants, and underwear before she placed them on the bed and headed off to take a shower. Judy decided to take her time in the shower as this was literally the only time she had the chance in her whole life to enjoy one. She made sure that she thoroughly cleaned her fur so it would be extra soft today.

Judy finally got out of the shower and dried herself off with a towel before covering herself with said towel and making her way to the bedroom to get dressed. After she got dressed, she looked over at the clock and saw that it said 6:16 AM, causing her to panic. "I was in the shower for nearly twenty minutes!" cried out Judy as she had never taken a shower over ten minutes, let alone even get past that. She quickly grabbed her phone and carrot pen before she ran out the door. Judy slammed the door behind her as she left her apartment. Running down the hallway, she enjoyed the feeling of the breeze of the cool morning air flow through her fur. She could see the parking lot out the window as she ran down a small flight of stairs, seeing as she was on the third floor. Within moments, she was down them and next to her cruiser.

Ever since Nick and Judy started dating each other two years ago, Chief Bogo immediately put them on different shifts and had them partner up with someone else or just go solo for the day. The only times they ever worked together was when a massive case came in, such as a mass murderer or large-scale drug bust. Because of this, they had each gotten their own vehicle, allowing them to get to and from work.

Judy fumbled with the keys for a moment before she could unlock her car, allowing her to hop right in and start it up. She did her usual routine check of her surroundings before backing up as she was always by the books about everything, especially when it came to laws and safe driving. As she pulled out of the parking lot and began to leave the apartment complex, she wondered if she could make it, as she only had ten minutes to drive five miles in morning rush hour. Judy was extra thankful as the traffic was actually pretty tame this morning; she was able to make it to work in time. Scanning the parking lot, she quickly found a place to park and ran as fast as she could inside and down the hallways. She ran into the bullpen for role call just as Bogo came into the room as well.

He glared at her as she quickly took her seat next to Wolford, the wolf way in the back as it was the only open seat left. "Ok now that we have EVERYONE, we can get down to business. Officer Hopps, you're on patrol in Sahara Square today," said Bogo as Judy jumped down from her chair and saluted him. He ignored her as he continued with assignments. Judy left the room and headed back to the main hall where she found Nick walking in with McHorn behind him, whom was escorting a handcuffed camel.

"Nick! Seems like you're already having a busy day," said Judy as she walked up to them and gesturing towards the camel.

"Yeah, we caught him pickpocketing a polar bear just as we drove by. I'll talk to you later Carrots, gotta go fill out the paperwork," said Nick as he walked past, but blew her a kiss just before losing sight of her as McHorn blocked their views of each other. Judy reached her hand out and caught the "kiss," even though she knew he didn't see it. She then turned around to leave the building.

Judy was thankful her cruiser had a really good air conditioning unit as the heat was insane today in Sahara Square. Nothing interesting had happened at all so far, except a speeding elephant, but she let him off the hook as his wife was about to give birth in the car. She had spent her whole time after that thinking what life could be like with kids. She then remembered her home and how crowded and crazy it was, and she was a child at the time. "No thanks, I don't need kids now," Judy thought as a terrified look swept over her face.

Judy had spent a good portion of the day patrolling with nothing to report and was soon called back in to report her day and fill out paperwork. The day cooled off a bit and was just comfortable enough for Judy to roll the window down and enjoy the surprisingly warm breeze that made her feel like she was wrapped in Nick's warm tail.

Suddenly, she smelled something rotten and was about to turn around when she realized she was on the highway that was overlooking the industrial section of Sahara Square; she played it off as one of the fumes from one of the many factories. Judy yawned at the thought of all the paperwork she had to do despite the very slow day.

Little did Judy know was that she had smelled was the beginning of a terrifying ordeal for Zootopia.

Meanwhile, in a dark warehouse…

"Shhh, shhh, don't whine. You deserve this, especially after what you have done to me," spoke a low, rough voice followed by the whining of a wolf in the dark,

desolate building. The wolf was tied down to a metal table and blindfolded, but not gagged in the slightest.

"What do you want? What did I ever do to you? Please let me go! I promise I won't tell anyone!" screamed the wolf as he struggled against the ropes that held him in place.

"You're making too much noise. Guess we will have to do something about that, won't we?" said the voice again. Before the wolf could respond, he was silenced by a large ball of some kind of clothing.

"Now, I guess we should begin," chuckled the terrifying voice once again before the wolf heard the sound of rubber slapping against fur as though the source of the voice was putting on some kind of glove. "Don't want your blood on my fur. Besides, these rubber gloves have special nubs on the finger tips that will give me a better grip as I peel the fur off of your body!" screamed the voice, followed by laughter and the sound of metal scraping against metal. The wolf began to shake and fight with all his might as he felt the presence of someone next to him. Everything went silent.

He stopped moving as nothing happened for nearly a minute and no longer felt anyone around him. This did not stop him from straining against his restraints as he tried with all his might to break free. Suddenly and without warning, he felt pain he has never felt before spring to life in his left hind paw as the attacker started to slice him up. He tried to pull his foot away, causing more pain as he repeatedly impaled himself on the knife. The assailant continued as he began humming a tune familiar to the wolf, causing him to whine purely on instinct as he wanted to escape.

After what felt like an eternity did the unknown animal stop and speak up. "No, no, no, you are causing a problem. I have ruined the foot. Guess I should find some kind of muscle relaxant to make my art stop moving, yet feel all my glory. Oh well, guess I'll just have to fix this and try with the next one," whispered the voice as it drew closer and closer to the wolf's ears. The wolf turned his head as much as he could toward the sound and listened carefully with complete horror as he realize that he was about to die.

Nothing was said as the wolf felt the blade slowly apply pressure to his skull. The wolf was now crying as he knew it was all over. "Don't worry. Let me hum you a lullaby so the baby can sleep peacefully," said the sinister voice as he attempted to hold back a laugh.

After a moment did the wolf hear the hum from earlier, and now he realized what it was. It was the song he hummed when he bullied all the other kids in his hometown. At this thought did he know who the voice belonged to, and suddenly he could no longer think as the blade once again began to apply increasing pressure. The wolf could feel the blade break the skin as blood began to pour down his head, cheeks, and eyes. The sound of the blade scraping bone filled his ears as the knife was driven even deeper. The wolf could smell the blood as it filled his nostrils with its sickly, sweet scent. Suddenly, without warning, he no longer felt anything as the knife was rammed with all the attacker's might into his head.

"Now that's done I can return to my work," snarled the voice as he withdrew the blade and went back to the paw he had originally started.

He looked around one last time to see that the dark building had a few more bodies in it, but they were not alive as the fur of all three had been hung next to each one of them, all of which were on hooks. He looked over to a large painted canvas. He stared at it for a moment before smiling. "Guess it's about time Zootopia saw my work. Besides, this place is starting to stink. Time to move. Also, lets see how my precious Judy likes my work!" chuckled the voice as he went back to peeling the fur off of the now-dead solid-grey wolf. No longer looking at the portrait of Judy Hopps, the killer began to hum the lullaby once again.


	2. Neighbors

Judy's head made a soft thump as it made contact with the table. "Ughhh, so much paperwork for so little done today!" groaned Judy as she slowly looked up at the computer in front of her. She was nearly done with all of her paper work and was anxious to go home and be done with this uneventful day. Judy shook her head and decided enough was enough: she would just power through the last of the work. As she began to type furiously on her keyboard, she heard the her phone start to buzz. She sigh and picked up her phone to see who was texting her. Of course, it was Nick.

"Hey Fluff, how long till u get home?" said the text.

Judy quickly typed back, "Bout 20 min, why?"

"The neighbors threw a surprise block party to welcome us into the building! No need to cook!" came the text a moment later.

"Wow really? I'll hurry up. Cya in a bit," typed Judy. With that, she put her phone down and started frantically typing up the rest of her report. She couldn't wait to get home to meet all the other tenants in the building and to see what they are like. After nearly five minutes of typing as quickly and carefully as possible, she finally finished the report and was now waiting for it to print out so she could drop it off in the filing department of the building.

She tapped her foot rapidly as she heard the machine make noise, and sheet after sheet of paper slowly popped out of the printer. "Finally!" she exclaimed as the final sheet came out. She scooped them up instantly and ran out of the printing room and down the hall towards the room in which everyone dropped off their paperwork. She opened the door, went straight to her bin, and placed the paper work into it before turning around to leave.

She headed to the front desk where Clawhauser would be, most likely snacking on some kind of sweet treat. Judy began to head up the stairs and, not surprisingly, there he was, eating what appeared to be a maple donut; of course, there was a box of donuts on his desk as well. "Hey Ben! I'm clocking out since my shift is over. I'll see you tomorrow," said Judy as she reached his desk.

"Well, let me put that down real quick so you can be on your way. So, what do you plan on doing tonight?" asked Benjamin as he began to type on his computer.

"Our neighbors have a 'block' party going for us for joining the 'family' of sorts. Will be nice to meet the others finally and see what kind of people they are," answered Judy as she waited for the all clear from the cheetah to go home.

"Oh that's nice. So how are things with you and Nick so far?" asked Ben as he stopped to look at her over the desk.

"We are doing fine, and to be honest Ben, telling you secrets is like posting it on PawBook. But yes we are doing great. We love the new place, and there is so much more room and a real bed, not some rocks disguised like a mattress," admitted Judy as she looked up at Clawhauser.

"That's wonderful. And there we are, done! You're good to go Judy; have a nice day!" said Ben as he pressed one last button with a smile.

"Thanks Ben, I'll see you tomorrow! You have a nice day as well," yelled Judy as she began to skip her way out of the building. Ben stared at her for a moment and thought "She may hate the word, but she is so cute when she does that!" He went back to work, eating his donut before an angry elephant came up to his desk.

Judy was driving down a side street when her phone began buzzing over and over again. Judy was never one to text and drive and was not about to start now, so she ignored the buzzing and continued to drive home. "Nick, you know I don't answer the phone when I'm driving," chuckled Judy to no one but herself as she turned down a side road nearly four minutes away from home.

"So glad we live so close to work now. Beats having to deal with traffic most of the time," sighed Judy with relief as she was once again talking to herself. After a few more minutes did she pull up into the parking lot meant for her apartment complex. She was completely surprised to see everyone out having a party with a grill, drinks, and ton of chairs spread around for everyone to sit and relax while conversing with one another. Everyone moved around some stuff so she could find a place to park, and not a second passed after she had pulled up that her door was opened by Nick.

"Hey there Fluffs! They have blueberry pie!" Nick was elated, the massive smile on his face causing Judy to laugh a little.

"Oh Nick, you always have been a sucker for blueberry snacks of any kind," commented Judy as she unbuckled and got out of the car.

"You better go change quick; you need to meet some of these people. They are great," suggested Nick as he helped her down and closed the door.

"Yeah sure, I'll be right back Nick," Judy said as she began to walk towards the building.

After nearly fifteen minutes did she come back down with a plain grey shirt with a blue-colored collar and cuffs while wearing plain blue jeans. She barely made it down the stairs when one of the party goers walked up and greeted her.

"Good evening, my name is Daloris. You must be the new neighbor!" shouted the badger as she stuck her hand out to shake it.

"You as well, my name is Judy. I'm sure you must have met Nick by now, right?" Judy asked with a tone that's said, "Why ask," and was greeted with a quick series of nods as she looked back to him.

"Yeah, he is pretty funny. I like his three-humped camel joke; that was great. Oh, you should meet Gerome and Michael! They are bunnies, and I do believe they are brothers," said Daloris as she tried to contain her excitement.

"Wow really? Bunnies are not very common out here in Zootopia. I mean, I should know," said a surprised Judy as her brow raised slightly.

"Yeah they are over... uh... ah there they are over by the cooler," said the badger as she scanned the crowd looking for them.

"Thank you, I think I'll go say hello to them and the rest of the mammals," Judy thanked her as she shook the badger's hand.

"You have a good time! I think I'll go get some of Randy's tasty cicada burgers!" Daloris was quick as she walked over to the grill were a hyena was flipping a burger.

Judy walked over to the other bunnies and was about halfway when Nick showed up next to her, carrying a plate with a burger and blueberry pie on it. As they got closer to the male bunnies, one of them saw them coming and waved to both Nick and Judy as he too walked to them. "Hello you must be... NO WAY, YOUR JUDY HOPPS! The hero bunny and her partner of justice, Nick! Yo Micheal, get over here! Judy Hopps is our new neighbor!" shouted the bunny with dark grey fur that had spots of white covering his face and arms.

"No way!? Really? Wow!" said the other bunny, who had brown-colored fur with white tips at the top of his ears and over his left eye. He came running over to see if it was true. "Wow, it really is Judy! Because of you, I tried to be a cop like you a few years ago," said Michael as he held his paw out to shake hers.

"I'm sorry you couldn't make it, would have been nice to have another bunny cop. At least you tried and that's what matters! Never stop trying," said Judy as she took his paw and shook it firmly. "Oh, this is Nick, my partner and fellow cop," Judy let go of his paw so she could took a step back to let them see each other.

"Nice to meet you, Nick. And you two are "partners" as in, you know?" asked Michael as he worked around the word.

"Yes, we are a couple and, to be honest, I've been happier with her than any other vixen," boasted Nick proudly, not scared to be vocal about it.

"That's wrong! Back in my day, it was prey with prey and pred with pred! Disgusting freaks!" boomed a voice from a few feet to their right. Everyone looked over to see who was shouting. Judy looked over angrily to see an elderly female pig with a walking stick. Some of the other neighbors also looked disgusted at the two and could see them whispering to each other.

"So what, you accepted the lesbian couple Nicole and Jackie. But because they are pred and prey, it's wrong?" he pointed at the two female skunks sitting next each other on the other side of the parking lot. "You can just leave now with your prejudice views so we can enjoy this party!" shouted the other bunny. Some of the neighbors DID leave as they shook their heads in disappointment, causing Nick and Judy to look at each other with some degree of hurt.

"I guess it's different here then back at the old place, Carrots," mumbled Nick as his ears drooped a bit while he looked down to the ground.

"Don't listen to them, there is still plenty of people here who will accept you for who you are. I mean look, only a few people left. We still have a lot of mammals here," stated Michael as he pointed to all the mammals that had stayed and still tried to maintain the party.

"Filthy whore! Filthy predo! Filthy preyo!" screeched the elderly pig as she walked up the stairs leading to her home.

Judy felt incredibly hurt by the comments, but no sooner had she heard it did she hear Daloris speak up. "Shut up, you old skank! Don't listen to her, she is just a mean old lady," she said with a comforting voice as she took Judy's hands into hers and looked into her eyes.

"Thank you. Most of you are really nice, and I'm glad to see only a few left the party and that most everyone had stayed," said Judy with joy as looked around to see all the mammals smiling at her as they raised their cups to her in acceptance. Everyone went back to having a good time. Judy spent a good portion of the evening talking with all the neighbors and enjoying the food. Even with the horrible start, she still had a great time as she laughed and smiled and joked with all the new friends she made today. Numbers were exchanged so everyone could stay in contact with each other.

"Well it's getting late, and Nick and I have work in the morning. You are all great, and I hope we can do this again soon!" Judy thanked everyone with a raised voice as she and Nick began to say farewell to all their new friends. They held paws and walked back to their apartment.

"Did you have a good time, my little Carrot?" asked Nick as he stumbled over a couple of the words ever so slightly.

"I did, and I'm glad we left. Otherwise, you would most likely have been drunk after a few more drinks," chimed in Judy as she fumbled with the key ring. She had trouble finding the apartment keys.

"I'm not the only one who had a few drinks," teased Nick with that smirk of his.

"I guess I too had a few too many. Let's just get inside already," suggested Judy as she couldn't pronounce inside correctly. Just as she had found the key and placed it in the keyhole, she could feel Nick's hot breath on the back of her neck and feel him wrap his arms around her as he followed her into the living room.

"The night is still young, Judy. Besides, we should see if the bed is good for both of us," suggested Nick seductively as he closed the door behind them, locked it, and then picked Judy up off the ground.

"Now I know you had too much to drink," squealed Judy at being picked up so suddenly before she blushed heavily when he looked into her eyes.

"So? It doesn't change how much I love you Judy," replied Nick as he began to nibble on her neck softly.

"Oh Nick, you sly fox. How could I say no after you unpacked for both of us last night?" whispered Judy as she started to fumble with the tie and buttons on his shirt.

Nick didn't say anything as he placed a long, passionate kiss on her lips as he carried her to the bedroom. Nick finally made it to the bedroom and began to fight the bedroom door as he worked around holding Judy. The door eventually opened up, and Nick went straight to the bed and gently placed her onto the bed without breaking the kiss the whole time. Nick began to help her undress as she finally tossed his shirt and tie to the floor and gazed upon his well-toned chest.

"Not so rough this time Nick, you are much bigger than me," Judy lightly pleaded in between gasps of air.

"Of course. I would never hurt my fluffy Carrot," cooed Nick as he began to assault her body with soft, gentle touches. Judy could only get excited at the idea of them breaking in the new bed and home tonight as she could feel her blood rush throughout her body. "Today wasn't so bad after all," thought Judy as she felt Nick pull down the final barrier, causing her to focus on what was about to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Well after a long day at work Judy and Nick were surprised to find out the other neighbors threw a "welcome to the neighborhood" party for them.
> 
> Judy met Daloris, Micheal, and Gerome who were great and nice while she met the local prejudice old pig who almost ruined the whole party.
> 
> And to end the whole day Nick and Judy decide to spend it together, alone.
> 
> But as I have said before in the warnings in the first chapter there are some serious real world issues in this story that will be controversial such as hate crimes, rape, and the legal system as a whole and how criminals are punished.
> 
> And as always have a great day/night!


	3. It Begins

Judy slowly woke up, feeling the warm, fuzzy body of Nick as he spooned her, and thanks to her small size, she fit snuggly against his body. She shifted as she could feel his arm hanging over her along with the blanket they were sharing. Judy could feel a slight headache and was a little sore from last night. She was just about to get up but heard Nick snoring heavily behind her, so she carefully took his arm off of her so she could get up and out of the bed. She gently placed his arm where she had been and slid off the bed as she looked over to the clock. It read 4:57 AM. "Hmmm, where are you off to Bun Bun?" asked Nick;Judy wasn't careful enough to not wake him up.

"We still have work today, Nick, or did you forget?" Judy answered as she grabbed some clothes from her drawer, along with a towel.

"Why can't we stay in bed a little longer? Especially after having such a "Wilde" night last night," snickered Nick, placing heavy emphasis on saying wild as he slowly got up and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Judy.

"Puns? Really, Nick, you are such a dumb fox," Judy glared at Nick before she place her hand on her forehead and shook it at the same time.

"Hey, at least this dumb fox can lure a pretty bunny to his bed," Nick said with a sly grin on his face as he pulled the blanket off of him to reveal he was still naked.

"Nick, it's our bed, and cheese and crackers put some clothes on!" exclaimed Judy, blushing heavily as she turned to leave the room and head to the shower. Nick got up out of bed and grabbed some clothes from his dresser.

"I'm not complaining about what I see," said Nick as he looked at Judy intently, causing her to realize she too was naked. Again, she began to blush heavily. Suddenly, Judy's phone began to ring, so she walked over to answer it. Nick was closer, though, and picked it up before her.

"Hello? Who's this?" Nick asked, curious who was calling at five in the morning.

The voice could be heard from across the room as a deep voice boomed from the phone.

"Hopps! Wilde! Get your furry butts to work now, I need you here in less than an hour!" And before either could respond, the phone call was ended by the Chief.

"Well, let's get ready. I'm going to take a shower, and we don't have time for breakfast so, we will take an extra long lunch today," said Judy as she headed out of the room and walked down the hallway with Nick right behind her.

"Judy let's save some time and shower together. I mean we both need to be at work in less than an hour," suggested Nick as he grabbed hold of the door before she could close it.

Judy stood there and looked at him for a moment before giving a defeated sigh, "Fine, but no funny business. We don't want to be late. He sounded very serious."

After a couple of tries and a punch to his shoulder from Judy, Nick gave up and began to wash up for the day ahead. They both got out and quickly dressed and grabbed their badges and vests as they both headed out. "I'm still surprised about the call from the chief. Must be pretty damn important for him to call us this early," said Nick as he opened the door for Judy as she got into the driver seat.

"Same here. Must be pretty important for us to be working together, since he won't let us work together after, well, you know what," Judy glared at Nick before she closed the door and put her seat belt on just as Nick had reached the passenger side. Nick could only nod in agreement as she inserted the key to start up the car. It was a short, quiet drive as they were in a rush to get to the station. They did not want to get on the bad side of the chief. As they pulled into the parking lot of the police station, they saw Chief Bogo standing outside, waiting for them already.

Judy quickly found a parking spot and was unbuckling along with Nick when Chief Bogo came over and tapped on their window. Judy rolled the window down and was about to ask how his morning was going when he put his hand up.

"Stay in the car. You two are following me to the crime scene. Here is what we have so far," ordered Bogo as he tossed a folder onto her lap through the window. Judy looked at him in confusion. Judy didn't even have time to say anything before he turned around and walked over to his own cruiser. Both Judy and Nick quickly put their seat belts as Bogo's jeep began to pull out and drive off into the city. Nick was looking through the folder and gasped loud enough for Judy to notice.

"What is it?" Judy didn't look over as she had her sirens on along with Chief Bogo's special police jeep in front of them and needed to pay attention to the road as she drove the car.

"Judy, we are dealing with a mass murder case," stammered Nick with the look of complete and utter fear.

"That's horrible, but we have done these before. What has you so scared?" Judy peeked a look at Nick and saw his face. His expression immediately caused her to grow concerned.

"The killer... the victims have been... skinned!" This bit of news caused Judy to swerve the cruiser a bit as she looked over at Nick with disgust and disbelief at hearing that such a thing could be done to a fellow mammal.

"That's, that's... so barbaric, so unnatural, so unmammal like!" Judy was flabbergasted at the information. She tried to see into the mind of someone she never met and to understand why, just why?

"I know Carrots, I know," was all Nick could say as he put the folder down and looked up at the road. With sirens blaring, they quickly made it to Sahara Square in less than thirteen minutes. Judy quickly recognized the area as they turned down an off-ramp. They were under the highway she had drove on yesterday.

"Wait, I know this place!" Judy took a moment to think back to yesterday. It suddenly dawned on her what that smell had been as she followed the chief, who turned into the parking lot of a large warehouse. She could see the other officers, including McHorn and Fangmeyer. She quickly found a spot to park and rushed over to Bogo just as he was getting out of his own vehicle. As she got to the car, the smell hit her like a truck and caused her to almost throw up; Nick was gagging too.

"Ok. Hopps, Wilde, follow me inside if you will," Bogo sneered as he walked to the side door of the warehouse. Nick was forced to cover his nose and mouth with a rag that he pulled from his pocket as the smell was as powerful as his own nose. Bogo entered the building, followed by Judy and then Nick. The warehouse was almost completely empty, except for the center of it. Judy and Nick couldn't make out what was in the center as they walked next to the chief. After nearly a minute of walking did they get close enough to see the scene completely and smell the thick scent of rot and decay.

Judy nearly threw up when she saw four red, furless bodies hanging from the ceiling on hooks. Their fur hung on what appeared to be racks placed slightly in front of the bodies. Nick had to look away when he noticed that one of the bodies was still fresh. He could hear the buzzing of flies, indicating how bad it really was. Chief Bogo had a look of utter disgust on his face, the kind he only reserved for the worst scenarios and mammals. Judy managed to swallow the bile forming in the back of her throat and look back at the scene.

She could see that each body had a gash in the forehead, revealing how they had been executed. Judy gazed upon each face and saw that they were all predators; their teeth were bared to the world. She looked at the furs that were strung up and could clearly see what species the victims were: a wolf, a polar bear, a hyena, and finally, a cougar - all of which were male. Judy couldn't believe her eyes as she took in the whole scene and tried her very best to not get sick.

She couldn't believe that some mammal would ever do such a thing. Judy had to look away so she couldn't see all their tendons and muscles hugging the bodies tightly as one would expect. It was very disturbing to see them in such a state. Judy recalled in school what muscles would look like. It was interesting then, but seeing them up close now, she was horrified of the entire situation.

Nick turned around and saw a painting off to the side, causing him to pause when he saw that it was a portrait his love, Judy. He then saw that there was a note leaning against the painting, so he moved closer to the two items. Nick picked up the paper and read it. After a moment, he was so completely stunned at what he read that he couldn't even speak properly.

"Ju... Jud... this... this... look," was all he could manage as he brought the note over to Judy and Bogo.

"What's this?" Bogo grabbed the paper and read it over quickly before handing it over to Judy, a look of worry on his face. Judy noticed this as she began to read the note. The words were made from letters cut out from newspapers, and only seven letters were written out in very random places.

Now that I have your attention, let iT be known that only Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are to be the only ones on this case!

Oh, and if I find out tHat it is not them after me, then I will randomly murder members of their family, so let that sink in!

Can you count to 48? I hope so, becausE you now hAve that many hours to find me. But don't worry, I left clues for you!

To be honest, I always looked up to Judy and her works, so this should be an easy reminder of her first major case!

Under a lot of stress and looking for help, she went to Nick as he was her only lead on the case!

Right now, you must be thinking: how does the killer know this? Well, I said it before! I find you inspiraTional!

Never had I been so amazed to see a rabbit defy the odds and become Zootopia's top officer in such little time!

An inspiration to mammals looking to break from their stEreotypical lives and be more than anyone could ever hope!

Look at the time! Well, you got to work to do, and, if I'm not mistaken, by the time you get this, you should have only 46 hours left. The next place is hidden in wRiting!

"What - what is this?" Judy dropped the paper and looked over to see that Nick was staring at the painting of Judy in her graduation outfit. It contained so much detail - the smile, the eyes, the slight divots in her fur from where Gideon has slashed her cheek when she was nine; everything in the painting was spot on from that day. Judy was terrified.

"Hopps, Wilde, this is your, and only your case. I don't want to risk your families' lives. Bring this bastard down. You have forty six hours to solve this case, and it seems he left you two some clues in that note. Now, I got work to do, and I will be expecting this to be done in the time limit given to you. The killer made it very clear that we are not allowed to help you, just like with the Nighthowler Case," stated Bogo as he began to leave. He was stopped by McHorn as the rhino came running into the warehouse.

"Chief! There are dozens of news reporters showing up! All of them are claiming that they were given a tip about this place!" McHorn nearly gagged at the sight of the bodies after he finished telling Bogo the news.

"What! How could..." It hit Bogo: the killer sent in the tip to ensure that he could follow the story and make sure there was little chance of interference on the case.

"Let's go! We have work to do," said Bogo as he followed Officer McHorn outside to deal with the media, leaving Judy and Nick to look over the crime scene alone.

"Nick... let's do this! We can't let him get away with this madness!" Judy growled as she looked to Nick.

"I agree, Carrots. Let's see what evidence we have." Nick paused as he walked over to the bodies with the rag still over his nose. He began to examine them as best as he could. "It seems they have all been killed within the span of one to two weeks, with this wolf having been dead for less than a day." Nick took a step back after a few minutes of studying the corpses.

"This note is obviously made from multiple sources of writing, except for the little bit of handwriting with those random letters." Judy pointed to the paper, showing Nick what she was talking about as the fox attempted to find the clues "hidden in writing."

"We know that this person is incredibly obsessed with you, Carrots, which means that they may lead us to places we've been to before. I mean, they knew about the forty-eight hour time limit we were given!" Nick looked back over to the painting with concern as he said this.

"It may seem so. They know my features very well, which is really creepy for me overall," said Judy as she rubbed the scars on her cheek; it was still unnerving how accurate the painting was of those scars. They both quickly gathered as much as they could since the smell was becoming too much for the both of them. Eventually, it forced them to leave the warehouse, where they were quickly overrun by the press and assaulted with questions.

"Is it true that there are four dead predators in there?"

"Are you both leading this investigation?"

"Our anonymous tipster said that there was a portrait of you in there, Officer Judy! Is this also true?"

Before they could answer, Chief Bogo quickly got in between them and the reporters and began to answer the many questions as McHorn pushed Nick and Judy towards their cruiser. Judy quickly got into their vehicle, along with Nick, and left the scene so they could find a place to discuss what they knew and attempt to decode the note.

After nearly ten minutes, they pulled into a bug burger joint and parked quickly.

"There is nothing useful for us except this one sheet of paper, so let's start with this." Judy held up the paper and placed it on the dashboard of the cruiser. She reread it out loud to Nick, who intently listened to her words. After finishing the paper, Nick and Judy looked at each other for a moment before they began to throw out ideas and examine the letters themselves.

"Nick, most of these letters are from the Watering Hole newspaper," said Judy as she pointed out that certain letters had a distinct font to them while the rest were just from random papers or magazines.

"Nice catch, Carrots! But, that really doesn't mean much except that he fancies that newspaper." Nick took the paper and took a closer look at the letters. He tried to think of why the killer favored the Watering Hole, if he even does at all.

"Nick, don't you remember? The Watering Hole puts me on the front page almost every time I solve a crime. It's like they are... obsessed... with... me," Judy trailed off as it slowly sank in.

"Wait, does that mean that someone at the Watering Hole might be the killer?" Nick handed the paper back to Judy as he asked the question.

"No, I don't think that. But I do believe that our killer does follow that newspaper as it does have very detailed stories on all my cases ever since the Nighthowler Case." Judy took the paper and began to look at it once again, searching for more clues.

"Then why did you hesitate at the end of your comment?" Nick looked Judy in the eyes as he asked this.

"Well, like I said, it is more likely that he follows the paper because they follow me more than anyone else. Besides, if he did work there, then this whole thing would be entirely made of letters from that paper. But as you see here," Judy paused for a moment as she pointed at some of the other letters on the paper, "you can see that he is using letters from magazines as the paper is thinner here and there." Judy pointed to other letters to help her case.

"Hmmm that's interesting," said Nick as he leaned in to get a better look at the note and sighed as he was having trouble to find anything helpful for Judy.

"What's wrong? Not a fan of trailing behind a dumb bunny?" Judy asked, Nick suddenly sighed and leaned back against his chair, causing the bunny's ears to twitch at the sudden sounds.

"You are absolutely right, one hundred percent, but that isn't what's bugging me," Nick smiled at her comment but lost the smile as he continued. "This killer knows a disturbing amount about you. That has me very worried for your safety. I mean, you're the toughest officer on the force, I know, but I can't help but be concerned. What I'm trying to say is, please don't do anything reckless; be very careful," Nick grabbed ahold of her shoulders and looked into her eyes with a very serious expression on his face.

"Nick you make it sound like you won't be at my side..." Judy was cut off by Nick as he placed a finger on her lips.

"That is what has me concerned. What if I am not by your side when something terrible happens? What if I am in no condition to help?" Nick paused as he saw that Judy had a very worried look on her face. She looked him in the eyes as she spoke up.

"I promise I won't do anything stupid if it comes to that Nick," said Judy as she pulled his face in closer and gave him a quick, reassuring kiss on the lips. She smiled after pulling away.

"Thank you Judy, I feel much better now. Now, let's head to the station so they can copy and keep the original." Nick carefully folded the paper as to not tear it and placed it into a spare envelope in the dashboard. Judy nodded as she turned the key and started their vehicle and left the parking lot. Nick could only smile and study her as she began to focus on the road. After a few seconds, his eyes shifted down to her right leg. Nick recalled how Judy had seriously cut herself at the museum when they were confronted by Bellwether.

"I still can't believe that she was only slapped with one year in prison and ten years of probation. If only we didn't destroy all of the evidence when we crashed the train," Nick thought as he looked out the window. "Is it possible it's her? I mean, she does hate preds and did shoot me, but I don't recall her being in complete awe over Judy when she became an officer. And all the victims had been predators. Looks like we may have to check this out sooner or later," Nick kept his thoughts to himself as they passed billboards advertising casinos, fast food, and school. Suddenly, one caught his eye. The clue hit him like a rock.

"CARROTS! PULL THE CAR OVER NOW!" howled Nick as he began to fumble with the paper and unfolded it. Judy slammed her paws onto the breaks and screamed at Nick for scaring her. She was about to punch him when she saw what he was doing. He held up the paper against the window and looked at it and the billboard over and over. There it was: the clue, as clear as day.

"Well Carrots, I hope you can see well in the dark," said Nick as he gave her that smirk and pointed out the location to her, making her smile. They now had a destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> So I was literally spending well over 30 minutes making all the letters in the note all very special with some bold, *italic'd* and underlined and only
> 
> had 3 lines done and saw I had so many more to go sooooooooooo yeah I kinda scrapped that as it was cutting way too much into my time for
> 
> writing so I focused on picking certain letters to mess with.
> 
> Nick and Judy have been called in together by Bogo and been brought to the murder scene of 4 predators.
> 
> Nick, Judy, and Bogo find a painting of Judy from when she graduated and a note demanding that only Nick and Judy are the only ones allowed on the case.
> 
> After spending a good hour of examining the note was Nick able to find the clue "hidden in writing"
> 
> Feel free to leave a review telling me if you like the story so far or if it's complete garbage


	4. Nocturnal District Part 1

"Wow, you actually found it, Nick?" Judy asked as she leaned over to look at what the fox saw in the paper.

"Yes, look: see how the first letter of each sentence is capitalized," Nick pointed at the letters on the paper, and then at the billboard.

"So what? That's how it is supposed to be... Oh my goodness," Judy was shocked when she looked at the billboard and finally saw what Nick had found. The billboard had a cheesy gimmick for a politician using his name.

Protective. Affectionate. Righteous. Kind. Loving. Excessively. Honest.

Judy finally saw the word pop out at her when she looked back at the paper. "Nocturnal," She mouthed without saying a word. "What else did you find, Nick?" Judy was now leaning over his shoulder, now in overdrive to find more clues in the paper.

"Well, look here Carrots. See the letters that ARE actually written in hand? They spell out a word: theater. So, we are to head to the Nocturnal Theater in the Nocturnal District." Nick pulled out some scrap paper from his dashboard and wrote out the words.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going Nick!" Judy jumped back into her seat and buckled back up before slamming her paw on the pedal. The cruiser lurched hard as it began to shoot forward.

"By the way, isn't that place abandoned?" Judy asked as she headed to one of the many entrances across the city that lead to the underground Nocturnal District. It was more like a secondary city than the underbelly of Zootopia. Crime ran unchecked in this part of the city as the ZPD just didn't have the mammal-power to enforce the laws properly, nor did they have enough nocturnal mammals on the force.

"Yeah. Right after the Skunkettes had that shootout in the theater, the place just couldn't get back on its feet," said Nick with a monotone voice as he looked out the window.

"What's wrong Nick? You seem... upset," asked Judy as her ear twitched at the sound of a deep sigh.

"Oh, it's nothing Carrots. Just worried about what we might find there." Nick looked back at Judy and gave her that signature smile of his.

The car turned onto the off-ramp as they headed for the entrance from Sahara Square to the Nocturnal District. The rest of the drive was pretty quiet as they turned left and right on the roads until, with a final right turn, they could see the tunnel that would lead them to the Nocturnal District and the next clue.

As they pulled up to the tunnel's entrance, they were stopped by a security guard at the booth that regulated traffic into the district.

"Hello, can I help you?" asked the grizzly bear with a rude attitude that gave Judy the impression he didn't even care what she had to say.

"Yes. Yes you can by letting us through so we can follow a lead on a mass murder case we are on," demanded Judy with a commanding tone.

"Oh really now? Can I see you paperwork, miss?" The grizzly bear bent over so he could get a better look into the car and gave the bunny a look that said, "I bet you don't have any and you are wasting my time."

"Officer Wilde, please hand me the file on our case," Judy didn't look at Nick as she asked him; instead, she coldly stared into the security guard's eyes.

"Here you go, Officer Hopps." Nick handed over the folder they had gotten from Chief Bogo that morning to Judy, who then handed it to the bear.

"What the fuck?! Ahem, I mean, I'm sorry to hold you up! Please have a nice day," stuttered the bear after he glanced through the paper and was shocked to see the contents.

"Thank you sir," said Judy kindly as the bear handed the folder back. She waited for the pole to rise so they could move forward. Once the bear lifted the pole from his booth, Judy gently pressed her foot on the pedal, pushing the cruiser forward. The light from the sun slowly dissipated as they entered the tunnel. The only source of light came from the lights on the walls, helping lead the way. Judy looked ahead as she drove deeper into the tunnel for what felt like a long time, but really, it was only a five minute drive.

They had both been to the Nocturnal District a couple times before, and it rarely changed. As soon as they left the tunnel, they entered a massive cave with buildings starting at the ground and going all the way to the top as though they themselves were the support beams for the entire cave.

Judy could count at least six of these structures from her perspective; the cave was huge but none of the "pillars" were taller than fifteen stories. Other buildings proudly stood, but were nowhere near as tall as the others. Judy knew from what she had seen and read about from her time in the Nocturnal District that this was the poorest section in the entire city. Its dominant populace were mostly predators of the canine family; wolves, foxes, coyotes, dingoes, and sub-species of these main four lived here.

Judy began to notice that Nick was getting incredibly tense as she turned on the headlights. The Nocturnal Theater was in the center of the cave, so Judy drove as fast as she could. She began to look at all the people they drove by, and she could see all the sadness and anger in the faces of the different mammals. "This is horrible! Someday, we will be able to help you all," said Judy to herself as she drove by a family of arctic foxes sitting on a corner with a sign saying, "Lost my job need help feeding my kids."

"There is nothing we can do about it, for now," said Nick as he looked out the window and saw what appeared to be a homeless grey wolf sleeping on a bench.

Judy could only mentally agree as they continued to drive towards their destination. They were nearly there when Nick suddenly yelled, "Judy stop the car now!" causing Judy to once again slam on the breaks.

"What's wrong?" Judy looked over to see Nick hopping out of the car with his tranquilizer gun already drawn as he began to run back the way they had come from. Judy quickly did the same as she, too, got out of the car and ran out from behind the car to follow Nick. She saw him turn down an alley street just ahead of her and could hear him yelling at someone. Judy may have been a good distance from him, but she could hear it all thanks to her sensitive ears.

"Get the hell off of her in the name of the law!" shouted Nick from around the corner.

"Hey, get the fuck out of here! Can't you see I'm busy with this stupid bitch!" yelled a voice from around the corner.

"Please help me! Get him off of me! He's hurting me!" Judy could hear a woman scream in terror now just as she turned the corner. The whole scene was laid out in front of her: she saw a rather large wolf on top of a red fox. He had his pants down and was attempting to remove hers.

"Stop in the name of the law, or I will shoot!" screamed Judy as she trained her sights on the wolf.

"Fuck this, I'm out," growled the wolf as he pulled up his pants and ran down the alley away from them. Judy quickly ran over to the vixen, along with Nick. They quickly helped her get up.

"Ma'am are you alright?" Nick was glad to see that the wolf had not torn any of her clothes.

"Yes, thank you so much!" the vixen tossed her arms around Nick and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Judy felt a pang of jealousy, but was able to calm herself when Nick gently pulled the vixen off of him and asked if she had any friends or family she could call. The vixen nodded and pulled out a phone before quickly dialing the number of someone she knew. Despite what Nick and Judy needed to do, they couldn't leave the woman alone until someone came to pick her up. As they waited, they did their best to help console the vixen as best as they could. Finally, a car pulled up and three mammals jumped out of the vehicle.

"Cassie, oh my god! Are you ok? You're not hurt, are you?" a red fox who looked a lot like the vixen came running up to her and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you so much for saving our daughter!" cried a semi-hysterical male fox who hugged Judy and Nick. Another vixen, most likely the mother, quickly came and gave the officers a hug as well.

"I'm sorry, but we have got to be going. I'm so glad we were here in time to stop such a disgusting act from happening to such a beautiful vixen," said Judy as she walked over to the fox and looked her in the eye before saying one last thing. "Remember, this is a dangerous neighborhood. Please stay with a friend whenever possible," said Judy with a smile as she hugged the girl one last time. She and Nick then walked back to the cruiser. They had wasted nearly thirty minutes with the vixen, but Judy didn't see it that way: she and Nick had saved someone today.

"Good job, seeing what was happening to her. It's good thing we have your good eyesight for this part of town," Judy said after they had gotten back in the car. They were back on their way to the theater.

"I barely saw, it to be honest. The only reason I looked was cause I saw the wolf go in there, and I was curious about what he was doing." Nick put his sunglasses back on. Judy found this annoying, considering they were underground, and there was no sun to be seen.

As they drew closer to the theater, Judy began to notice that the buildings were getting more and more run down - some of them were completely empty. Finally, they turned onto the final street and could see that every single building here was condemned for destruction.

"This is a very desolate place, isn't it?" Judy asked as she looked at both sides of the street. When she looked over to Nick, she could see a tear running down his face and his paws were clenched in very tight fists.

"Nick what's wrong? I can see you crying, and you're so tense." Judy pulled the car up to the theater with the 80's themed sign standing out over the sidewalk. The building name was plastered on it.

"My dad died that night, when the Skunkettes had that shootout. I never thought I would ever be here, at the place he died. He worked here, you know." The fox gave a shaky sigh. "He was the first to get shot. They killed him because he was in the way as the shooters tried to enter the place. I was too young to remember it well." Nick didn't look at Judy as he continued to stare out the window, but another tear rolled down his cheek.

"I heard about that when I was at the academy. It was something we had to study to learn how to deal with those kinds of situations. Four officers, thirty-two civilians, and all three members of the Skunettes dead," Judy stopped as she realized that Nick's fist was shaking uncontrollably.

"If this killer knows so much about you, then he or she is sure to know a lot about me. I'm sure they will use these details to get to us." Nick's right ear slightly twitched as he said these words. Judy was astonished to see that this was getting to Nick this much; he was usually never phased, but this - this was already digging deep, and they hadn't even found what the second clue was.

"I'm sorry. I talked about the details of that night; that was rude of me." Judy apologized as she turned the car off and silently sat there, waiting for Nick to recompose himself. After a few minutes, Nick spoke up again.

"Don't be, Fluff. I had to study the case as well in the academy, and let's say it was rough sleeping that night after I found out how my father died. Tsk, Mom was strong and never showed any pain or sadness when I asked about him. She would just smile and tell me that he always wore a suit and was handsome, just like me. Finally, on my tenth birthday, she gave me his tie. That was the first time I saw her cry." Nick didn't say any more as he began to fumble with the end of his tie - the same tie he was wearing the first time he and Judy had met.

"Enough of this. Let's go find the second clue. Bring your radio; we may have to call for backup," said Nick as he opened up his door and walked over to the theater, taking his sunglasses off as he did so. Judy felt horrible about the whole situation, but she pushed that to the back of her mind as she got out and followed Nick. They walked right up the entrance and found that the door was already open with a little light coming from inside. Judy and Nick looked at each other and both pulled out their tranq's as they slowly walked in.

After a few steps, they began to smell the same horrible odor from the warehouse and decided to follow it. The place was run down: the wall paper peeled off the walls, mold just hung off the ceiling, and the smell was already horrid without the added scent of rot and decay. Nick and Judy began to head down one of the halls that lead to some of the screening rooms, but turned back around as the scent got weaker. They went back to the main room where people gathered and bought food and drinks before heading down the other corridor.

Immediately, the smell of rotting flesh became overwhelming and nearly as strong as back at the first location. All this time, Judy's ears had been on high alert, listening for any sounds as she led the way. They finally reached a door with the number 3 written on it.

"I knew it," growled Nick before he spoke up again, "I was three when he died."

"Well, let's hope he is in here so we can stop him before he does any more harm," said Judy, glancing to Nick before she took position on the other side of the double-door entrance. She held up her fingers, counting down from three. When she hit zero, they both kicked open the door and pointed their weapons down the corridor as they headed down the lone path. Nick watched their top side as Judy moved forward. They reached the point where they could clearly see all the seats, and no one else was there.

Nick looked over at the black screen. What he thought was a large stain was actually a body nailed into the wall by its hands and feet, its limbs all splayed out. Nick could only lower his gun as he saw that this mammal was also completely devoid of any fur. Judy stood next to Nick and covered her mouth in horror as she noticed that there was not only a body on the screen, But also a message, written in red. It was short, straightforward, and made the two cops realize that this killer was a complete lunatic.

"In Zootopia, anyone can be anything. So, why can't I be any mammal I wish to be!? Take a good look, Judy and Nick. I'm sure you can find the next clue amongst all the filth and muck of Theaters 1-5," Nick read the message out loud.

Judy stared at the horror that lay before her. The body was of what appeared to be a skunk, judging by the smell coming from... her. The message was clear: no one was safe in Zootopia. Nick looked at the body and judged that it had been here for nearly a week before taking a step back. His paw landed on something soft and wet. Slowly, he looked down and saw that he was standing on the fur that had originally belonged to the victim. He had to quickly cover his mouth before running over to a trash can.

Judy was in complete shock as she saw see the bloody mess on the floor. A smiley face was written in blood next to the fur.

"Nick, I'm calling this in. We should have enough time to search the theaters before the others show up to document all of this," said Judy as she pulled the radio from her belt and pressed the call button.

"This is Officer Hopps calling in a 12-03 at the Nocturnal Theater in the Nocturnal District. One body had been found, but there may or may not be more. We will keep you updated if we find anything else," Judy waited for Clawhauser to respond as she began to head up the stairs to the seats and search for clues.

"I hear you loud and clear Officer Hopps! We're sending a van to you, along with backup," replied Clawhauser from her radio.

Judy looked down at Nick and could see that he was also searching for clues, now that he was finished with the trash can. "What are we dealing with exactly?" was all Judy could ask herself as she looked at the corpse on the screen and the message written in blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Sorry this one is a bit late but I was having trouble making the clue (my goodness these clues are hard to write) as I need to make sure they are clever, creepy, and don't spoil too much about the killer.
> 
> To be honest this is very "detailed" story in which I have to constantly edit and redo chapters so I don't reveal too much and keep the sense of danger and mystery going. But boy is it a very fun challenge for me.
> 
> Its also a challenge to keep people in character since they haven't dealt with any of this in the movie.
> 
> And as always please have a great week.


	5. Nocturnal District Part 2

Judy looked away as she began to search the seats closest to her, though she frowned slightly when she realized that she had no idea what she was looking for in the trash. She pushed aside a bag of popcorn and a very sticky soda cup to see if there was anything under them - nothing. She stood back up to take a look around the theater room to see if there was anything was out of place, whether it was a missing chair or non-dusty spots. Nothing seemed to catch her eye as she moved on to the next row and once again began to crawl across the floor, attempting to find something - anything - that could help her.

Nick was doing the same thing: he looked under and behind the seats, searching for clues as well. After a few minutes, he got up off the ground and stretched out his locked-up knees. "Ughhh, I'm not the young fox I used to be," muttered Nick as he went back over to the corpse to see if there was anything out of place.

As he did so, he walked past the skin of the victim, giving it a quick glance and deciding that he should leave it for the detectives to document. So, he continued walking. He read the clue again and noticed something he hadn't noticed before. "Carrots, I think I found one of the clues," Nick called out, raising his voice so his partner could hear him. He knelt down to get a better look while Judy poked her head out from behind some seats way up in the stands.

Judy ran down the stairs, noticing as Nick held the fur in his paws and squinted at it as if he was trying to see it better. She hopped up next to the fox and looked at the fur of the victim, staring at what her partner had found. Written on the fur in bright yellow paint was a large "O".

"Why is there a large O on it? What does that mean?" Judy pulled out her notepad and trusty carrot pen, writing the letter down.

"I don't know, but it looks like it will be part of the bigger clue. We should head to the other theaters and look for anything similar to this," suggested Nick as he wrote it down in his own set of notes.

"I agree. We should move on from here; we have what we need from this room," Judy got up off the ground and held her hand out to help Nick off the floor as well. The fox took her hand and got up, giving the victim one last glance before leaving the room. Both of them went over to the next room, which was room four, and once again had their tranqs out as they slowly entered, just to be sure that they were indeed alone in this building. Once they reached the front of the room and saw that no one else was there, they relaxed and lowered their tranqs. Judy decided to search the lower seats while Nick checked the very top row. From there, they would meet at the middle.

They had completely searched four rows when they heard the buzz of Judy's radio going off. "Officer Hopps, report in," called Clawhauser from the Precinct.

Judy quickly pulled out her radio and responded, "This is Officer Hopps. We have found one clue so far, and Nick does not smell any foul odors, indicating that there is only one body in Theater Room Three on the first floor."

"Roger. The 'van' will be there in less than five minutes. Be careful you two," replied Clawhauser before ending the call and returning to what Judy could only guess was some kind of junk food.

"Nick, keep searching this place. I'm going to go and wait outside for backup so I can show them where to go." Judy put the radio back onto her belt before glancing at Nick.

"Don't do anything foolish Carrots. I don't want to have to save you again," Nick gave her that signature smirk of his before ducking his head behind a chair to dodge a popcorn bag.

"What were you saying? Last time you saved me was... the night we, umm, got... caught," stammered Judy as she frowned, remembering their last case together. They had been on a stakeout before suddenly getting noticed by the mammals they were watching. Nick was able to come up with the excuse that Judy was a prostitute and he himself was looking for a "good time." Thankfully, the dealers couldn't see her very well in the dark and couldn't recognize her; plus, since a lot of the hookers in the area were actually rabbits, they had gotten away with the story. And to Judy's embarrassment, some of their co-workers heard and saw it all when they reviewed the hidden cameras and recorders. They especially saw how she had to throw herself on Nick and caressed him to make their excuse seem legit and not get into trouble.

"Ughhh, I forgot that's how they found out about us!" exclaimed Judy as she covered her face with her ears, blushing at the memory.

"Oh, I remember it well. After they left, I specifically remember what you said, word for word," Nick cleared his throat and did his best acting as he flung himself onto a nearby chair and attempted to impersonate her voice, "Oh, Nick! That was so hot! We should just head over to my place and do a little role-play!"

"Please, Nick, stop. I can't handle the embarrassment right now!" cried Judy, still hiding behind her ears. Nick noticed that the appendages were starting to get a little red.

"It's a damn shame that you only remembered that there were cameras and recorders in the car after saying that. But, at least only Bogo, McHorn and Wolford knew about it," said Nick as he continued to look through trash in his row. Judy stomped down the hall and towards the room's exit.

"Can't believe that it's only been a little over a year ago since they've given us different shifts. Time moves by fast," thought Nick, holding the memory for a few more seconds before diving back into the trash.

Judy nearly reached the doors when she saw something written on one of them. She quickly pulled out her flashlight and pointed it at the door. She gasped and dropped her phone, the device landing with a loud thud. Nick could hear the gasp from Judy and the thudding of the flashlight, so he stood and ran down the stairs to make sure his partner was alright.

"Judy! Are you ok!?" Nick yelled as he turned the corner. Because of his enhanced vision in the dark, he saw what she had seen: a letter was on the door. But there was more.

Written on the door in bright blue was the letter "C." Underneath that was a painting of Nick receiving his badge from Judy on his graduation day. The detail was so incredible, almost like a photo: it had Nick's large smile on his face, and Judy in her own uniform. Nick looked over to Judy and felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw the look of terror in her eyes. The bunny continued to fearfully stare at the painting, her paws covering her mouth as she shook her head in hopes that denying the painting's existence would make it go away. What had Judy stricken with fear was the fact that Nick had a large, red "X" over his face, written in what appeared to be fresh blood.

"Carrots?" Nick placed his hand on her shoulder and lead her out into the main hallway. Judy, still slightly distraught over the painting, couldn't seem to keep her balance. As soon as the two officers exited the theater, Nick and Judy sat on the curb and waited. Nick hugged Judy as they silently sat there for a few minutes before she spoke up.

"Nick, the killer was here not too long ago and crossed you out of that painting for some reason. He or she risked getting caught to come back and change their painting!" hypothesized Judy as she looked up at Nick with tears forming in her eyes.

"Judy?" Nick looked at her with concern before bringing her in for another hug and speaking up again. "Judy, I promise I will never leave you no matter what happens. I love you, and I don't want to see you crying like this. We will make it through this." Nick tightly held onto Judy, letting her know that he was there for her.

"Thank you, Nick." Judy buried her face into his shirt as she smiled at his comment, feeling much better. They did not stay in that embrace for long as they soon heard the sirens of police car; they quickly regained their composure and waited. Another minute passed before a large black van and a police car turned the corner down the street, heading towards them. Nick and Judy both stepped back a bit as the vehicles came to a stop in front of them. The police car was massive, and only one person in the whole precinct was that big.

The door opened up and out stepped Francine, the elephant, and her partner Kowalski, the brown bear. From the van stepped out the "Forensics Guy" - he was nicknamed this because his real name actually was Guy. He was a very skinny cheetah compared to Clawhauser, and with him was the coroner that would be handling the body. Terrie was his name, and he was a honey badger who was rather calm and polite.

"Ok, Kowalski and I will patrol the area to make sure nothing interferes with us. These two will show you to the body," said Francine as she and Kowalski got back in the car and began to slowly drive up the street. Nick and Judy gestured for the other two to follow them inside.

"Nick, search Room Five while I take these two to Room Three. I'll meet up with you in a minute." Judy pointed to Room Five as she walked past it. Nick nodded and once again drew his weapon as he slowly walked into the room. Judy quickly showed the Forensics Guy and the coroner to Room Three, opening the door for them and standing to the side to make room for their equipment. Judy took a deep breath as she let the door close and walked over to the room where Nick was.

She opened the door and saw that Nick wasn't in the tiny "hall." So, she decided not to take any chances and pulled out her gun and held it with both hands. Judy slowly walked down towards the front when she heard shuffling from above her. She quickly aimed her gun upwards and saw that it was just Nick.

"Cheese and crackers! You scared me, Nick!" Judy had a scowl on her face as the fox stared down at her with his ears folded back, looking like he had just been punched in the gut. That is, until that signature smirk of his crept over his muzzle.

"I'm sorry Carrots. You afraid of the little old me? You scared of the fox?" Nick puckered his lips and used a babyish tone as he leaned over the railing.

"Nick, don't make me come up there and slap you!" shouted Judy as her foot began to furiously tap in frustration.

"Oh, you're so cute when you're mad," teased Nick, chuckling at her.

"That's it!" shouted Judy. She ran right up to the wall, took one step on it and jumped back to the wall behind her. Twisting her body, she placed both feet on the opposite wall and pushed hard, flying right up to Nick. The fox didn't even see it coming, and before he knew, Judy was face to face with him. Then, as he tried to process what had happened, Judy's paw made contact with his cheek. Nick stumbled backwards a couple steps before falling onto his ass in complete shock. Judy stared at him before leaning back over the railing, judging the distance.

"Hmmm, about ten feet," mumbled Judy before turning back around and seeing Nick get back up off the ground.

"Wow, I didn't think you would do it," Nick laughed. The slap itself wasn't that hard; in fact, it reminded him how his mother would slap his hand away from the cookie jar when he was a kid.

"Serves you right," said Judy as she glared at him with dagger-like eyes.

Nick stared back at her for a long moment before saying something back at her, "Carrots I'll say it again: you're so cute when you're mad."

"What ever," said Judy with a smile before continuing. "So did you find anything, Slick?"

"Well, while you were off escorting the others for the past five minutes, I did find another clue. It was the letter 'K' painted on the projector's window up there." Nick pointed at the the small window above them.

"First 'O,' then 'C,' then 'K.' I wonder what they mean?" Judy placed her hand on her chin and began to think hard. Her foot began to tap again.

"Not sure. We just need to find the last two in Rooms One and Two, so let's go. Oh, by the way, it seems like we are looking for letters placed in random locations." Nick and Judy began to leave the theater room, having completely searched it already.

"Ughhh. Three down, two more to go," said Judy as she began to walk down the hallway and head towards Room Two with Nick behind her.

Nick and Judy opened the door and began to look at the walls and the back of the doors. As they reached the end of the side corridor, they saw nothing out of the ordinary, so they decided to split up. Judy went to search the top portion while Nick went to search the lower portion. Judy checked the sides of the chairs and the walls around her as she began to search the top row. Nick, on the other hand, looked all over the walls and the screen at the front of the room. Both spent a long time in the room to the point where they had done three full sweeps.

"I'm heading over to Room One Nick, but before that, I'm going to make sure the others are okay," Judy grunted as she began to head down the stairs and towards the exit, passing Nick on the way.

"Careful Carrots. Don't want you to get spooked again," said Nick with a slightly mocking voice as he looked over the edge to watch Judy leave the room. Judy turned to look up at Nick and was about to say something when she saw a bright yellow letter on the ceiling. She could only point up past Nick, her surprise to see it leaving her somewhat speechless.

Nick turned his head to see what she was pointing at, and he was also surprised to see it all the way up there. The letter "L" was above them, clear as day all this time. "How stupid could I have been to not look up once!" thought Nick as he just gawked at the letter for a moment before looking back down at Judy.

"What letters do we have so far?" Nick began to look through his notepad to see what he had so far, and Judy did the same.

"Well, we have the letters 'O,' 'C,' 'K,' and now 'L'. But the letters seem to spell out a word, so L wouldn't be at the end. It could spell 'lock.'" Judy wrote as fast as she could in her notepad.

"We still have one last letter to find, and we will have completed this word. I just don't like the fact that we are going to have one word as our only clue." Nick crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall.

"Well, we are just going to have to make due with what we have. Let's go check on the others." Judy opened up the doors that lead into the now very familiar hallway. Nick followed her out and down the hall as they made their way to Room Three.

Moments before they reached the room, the door opened up as Guy and Terrie stepped out with a body bag on a stretcher. They looked at Nick and Judy but didn't say anything as they proceeded to head down the hall and out to their van. They simply shook their heads in sadness when they looked back at the two before turning the corner and heading to the exit. No words were spoke as the duo walked into the last room: Room One.

"Nick, I'll search the top rows again, okay?" Judy glanced up at the ceiling as she said this.

"Okay, just don't get too dirty," Nick teased as he started to look at the walls, looking for the clue.

It didn't take long for Judy to find paint on not one, not two, but on a lot of chairs in a lot of rows. She was completely baffled as to why there was so much green paint on all the seemingly random chairs. "Nick, come check this out. I think I found the clue, but I'm not sure," called Judy, fed up with trying to figure this out on her own.

"Nick, what are you doing? I said come here!" Judy looked up from her green chair and turned to see Nick was staring out over the room. "What are you looking at Nick?"

"Judy, I found the last clue. Come down here," Nick pulled out his notepad and began to write the final letter down just as Judy made her way down from the top row.

Judy turned around and looked at all the seats. The seats that had been painted green all lined up to create one giant "C". "Nick, you found it! The final letter! What does that spell out?" Judy jumped up in joy as she attempted to look at his paper to see what he had written down. She caught a just a glimpse of the paper, but that was all she needed to see as her mind already came up with the answer. The word "clock" was scribbled into Nick's notebook.

"Clock. What does that have to do with anything?!" growled Nick as he began to leave the room with Judy right next to him.

"I don't know, but what I do know is that we've been here for hours and my goodness it's getting cold in here. Say, how long have we been here?" asked Judy, pulling up the collars of her shirt to cover up as much of her neck as possible.

"I'm not sure. Let me get out my phone," said Nick as they were now in the main hallway.

As Nick pulled out his phone, both cops were startled by a loud "bing bonging" from the main room. Both Nick and Judy jumped up and looked all around, trying to find the source of the sound. It continued to echo through the once-silent hallways, ringing in both cops' heads. After a longer than needed amount of searching where they able to find the source of the sound.

Nick and Judy froze in fear of what the source of the noise was and of how long they had been in that theater. Above the concession stands was a massive working clock that said it was 6pm. Above it was a message written in blood that made the blood in Nick's and Judy's veins grow cold. How had they have not seen this when they first came in?

"If you heard this clock go off, you are very far behind. Here is the next place to go, because I can't wait to meet you in person: Tundra Town Happy Go Buggery Distributors. Trust me, the next clue is to DIE for!" The word "die" was jagged and written as though the person was overly excited and too impatient to write it.

"Nick, looks like we are now off to another abandoned building in Tundra Town." Judy looked over to Nick as she wrote down where they needed to go.

"This mammal thinks this is all some kind of joke. It's so barbaric and cruel," Nick grumbled before he gave a deep sigh, turning around and heading towards the exit. "If we are behind, then we can't waste any more time," thought Nick as he stepped outside into the cold, dusty air of the Nocturnal District.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> So I completely forgot to mention some things in my last chapter such as how the preds in zootopia are essentially the minority and like most cities of the world the minority live in really run down places and generally stick together in their own little communities. As seen here in the Nocturnal District.
> 
> And the second was that there was no solid evidence of what happened to Nick's dad and it was implied that he either left when he was very young or died.
> 
> Nick and Judy have spent most of the day searching the building and five of the rooms for clues and found out that they were very far behind in time management from the message they found above the clock. What will they find in Tundra Town and what is the purpose of all of this in the first place?
> 
> Please have a nice day/night and as always please have a great week!


	6. Danger is Close to Home

It had been nearly an hour since they had left the Nocturnal District and made their way through the city towards Tundratown. Nick drove as Judy sat in the passenger seat, reviewing all the notes she had taken on the paintings, the victims' species, and even where the letters were painted. She hummed to herself as she wrote down ideas and theories, but she had nothing solid. "Ughh, I can't make a connection if I don't know what the victims had in common!" Judy plopped her head onto the dashboard, gaining a glance from Nick.

"You could call and see if they have anything yet," Nick suggested as he turned the car off the highway and into a seedy neighborhood.

"That's a good idea. I mean, this is gonna go on way over our normal shift, so he should at least know how we're doing," Judy reasoned as she leaned back in her seat and took a deep breath.

Judy took a hold of the radio and talked into it clearly, "This is Officer Hopps reporting in."

"Thiff iff Clawhauffer. How're oo doon, Judy?" the cheetah answered with a slightly distorted, yet still cheerful voice.

"Clawhauser, can you finish your food before speaking, please? It's kinda gross," Judy said quickly. She then sat there, waiting for a good moment before the cheetah answered her again.

"Sorry about that. So, how's it going out there? Have you got any closer to finding the killer?" Clawhauser asked through the radio.

"Not much, but I do need to know what the first set of victims had in common as soon as possible, please!" Judy spoke, her ears perking up as she waited for a quick response.

"Sorry Judy, we don't have anything as of right now. We are having a specialist flown in from a city a few states away, and they won't be here till tomorrow morning," Clawhauser explained. Judy's ears drooped behind her head, and a frown crept over her muzzle. Now she had to wait even longer to ID the victims!

"Well, let the Chief know that we are going to be working all night, and get another van ready. We are about to arrive at Tundra Town's Happy Go Buggery Distributors," Judy stated before putting the radio down. They turned down a one-way street, their destination finally coming into sight. Judy felt a shiver run down her spine as she noticed how dangerously loose the sign for the building was hanging.

"Will do, Judy. Be careful," Clawhauser said one last time before the radio went silent, leaving Judy to wonder what new app had the cheetah being so quick on his calls.

"Ok Carrots, let's get ready. Don't know what could be in there," Nick said as he pulled the car up to the curb, snapping Judy out of her trance.

"I think we will be fine, Nick," Judy shot back as she opened her door and got out along with Nick. They both pulled out their weapons, just to be safe.

Nick didn't say anything as they headed towards the menacing-looking building. Most of the windows were broken, some covered with wooden planks. It was most certainly abandoned as not a noise could be heard coming from inside, and no light could be seen either. Judy felt the cold wind bite at the tips of her ears as she inched closer and closer to the doors that led to what would most likely be the reception area for the building. Nick glanced up at the sign that showed a picture of a happy ant with the name of the company above him. The building was old, but nowhere near as old as the theater they had came from.

Judy walked up to the door and looked back at Nick just as he gestured forward with his snout. She took a deep breath before slowly pulling on the door handle. The door creaked like the ones in horror movies, which didn't help the current situation. "Really? That's so cliche," thought Judy as the sharp sound hurt her sensitive ears, making her cringe.

Judy slowly walked into the building as the door opened up all the way; Nick followed right behind her. The first thing the bunny noticed was the smell of rot and decay. Looking back at Nick, it was easy to tell that he could also smell it. "Carrots, the smell is everywhere and because of what this place is, I'm not going to smell out any potential bodies at all," Nick stated as he sniffed the air real quick before gagging slightly.

"This place is huge. If we stay together, we will never find the clue in time. I'm sorry Nick, but we are going to have to split up and keep in touch via the radios," said Judy as she walked over to a directory for the building.

"I have to agree with you on this Carrots, as much as I may not want to," Nick mumbled as he walked over to the map as well.

"I'll handle the first floor. You check the second floor. Thank goodness that's all this place has," Judy said as she tinkered with her radio before doing a sound check, along with Nick.

"Good, the radios are going to be helpful. I'll call for you if I find any thing," Nick stated when he heard a buzzing sound come from his radio, letting him know that they would now have direct contact with each other. Nick, his weapon still drawn, found some stairs and began to climb them as Judy went the other direction, towards the left wing of the building.

Judy walked down a long hallway with doors heading into large storage areas filled with food that had expired long, long ago. The smell was repugnant and near overwhelming, but Judy fought the urge to leave and pushed on into one of the rooms. She surveyed the room before noticing a figure standing off in the far corner.

"ZPD! Put your hands up!" shouted Judy as she raised her weapon and began to walk toward the still figure. As she moved closer, she asked for them to raise their hands again. Just as she got close enough, though, she realized that it was just a mannequin. This fact caused the bunny to blush in anger and embarrassment. The atmosphere of the place didn't help her nerves one bit, setting her on edge enough to mistake a mannequin for a real person.

Judy frowned as she could already hear Nick mocking her. "You bunnies really are dumb," echoed in her head with his slightly condescending voice. Judy turned around to head out of the room as she tried to forget her silly mistake and returned to her thorough search of the area, entering the next room. Judy headed down the hallway, checking the other storage rooms and finding more and more mannequins. This made her more and more frustrated. "Why are mannequins even here in the first place!?" Judy mentally screamed as she entered the last storage room on her floor.

Meanwhile, on the second floor.

Nick walked through room after room filled with desks and filing cabinets. He found the same thing in them all: a gang's marking on every single door, making him very nervous. One consolation, however, was the fact that they were all extremely faded and from a gang that no longer existed in the city. Nick grew more and more anxious as time passed by without finding any thing or getting a check-in from Judy. He decided to give her five more minutes before he would check in on her as he entered what must have been the main office, if the faded "CEO" on the glass was any sign. Nick turned the handle of the door, only to find that it wouldn't budge. "Locked? That's annoying," thought Nick. He sat there for a moment before deciding to finally check in on Judy.

"Hey Judy, how is everything on your end? I have nothing so far, over," Nick said after pulling up the radio from his shoulder. He sat there for a moment before Judy responded to him.

"Nick, I need you down here now. I... I found the killer's next victim!" Judy was stuttering horribly as she answered him.

"Stay right there; I'm on my way right now!" hollered Nick as he ran back the way he came, hoping to get to Judy as fast as possible.

...

Judy sat still in denial the entire time as she stared at the scene. "Cheese and crackers, this bastard is serious!" Judy slowly pulled out her phone and began to search through her contacts until she found who she was looking for.

"I can't believe it - I just can't," said Judy as she stared at victim in front of her. Minutes passed as she sat on her feet and knees, waiting for Nick. Finally, the fox came running into the room with his weapon out and ready to fire. Just as he entered the room, he to froze with shock at who the victim was.

"Nick the killer - he killed him. He killed him!" Judy stuttered, shaking with fear as Nick helped her up off of the ground. Nick looked at the scene and could only hug Judy tighter. The body was fresh: bright red with a large frozen cerise pool circling the body as it laid against the wall.

The body was unrecognizable, but the fur-wrapped mannequin next to it made the identity of the victim as clear as day. The fur was dark grey with white spots covering the face and arms and with the fur stretched perfectly it was clear who it was. There was no mistaking who it was, the large ears and features were a clear indicator.

"Nick, I can't believe he killed Gerome. What will his brother think!?" screamed Judy as she began to sob. However, she had enough willpower to dial Michael's number.

"I'll call the station and get a van down here right away," Nick calmly said as he walked away real quick to talk into the radio.

Judy recalled that right before they left the party, Michael and Gerome had both given her and Nick their numbers so they could call each other if they wanted to hang out. The phone rang nearly three times before the other end picked up.

"Hello? Judy, it's pretty late. Why are you calling?" Michael asked over on his end.

Judy looked at her phone quickly to see that it was nearly nine o'clock before answering the bunny. "Michael, it's terrible. Nick and I are on a case and... and... and..." Judy sobbed uncontrollably as she tried to tell him.

"Judy?! Are you ok? Is Nick ok? What happened?" Michael spoke quickly as he heard Judy crying.

"It's your brother Gerome!" Judy managed to spout out as she tried to calm herself. It wasn't working.

"What about him? What happened!" demanded Michael, shouting as Judy could hear him shuffling around very loudly on his end.

"He's dead! There is a new killer in Zootopia, and Gerome was his latest victim!" shouted Judy as she dropped the phone, her body racked with uncontrollable shaking.

Judy could hear Michael's cries from her phone, the news of his brother's death quite devastating for him. Judy watched as Nick tried his best to stay calm as he searched the room for more clues. He went rigid when he found a message written in frozen blood on the wall next to the exit of the room.

"My, my. Looks like this one got a bit too close to you, Judy. Watching that "neighborly" party from a distance was sure entertaining. As for your next clue, just don't dwell to much on the PAST. I guess that's why you don't run inside. Isn't that right, Judy?" Nick read it outloud before writing it down and returning to Judy.

Nick helped Judy out of the room as she picked up her phone and told Micheal where she was. Judy hung up the phone and looked Nick dead in the eyes with terror in her own. "Nick, he knows where we live! We aren't even safe at home! What are we going to do?" Judy shook from the cold and the despair that took hold of her body as Nick helped her out of the building and back into the car.

Nick turned the heater on, heating up the car so Judy could be comfortable. They sat in the car for nearly ten minutes before a van pulled up next to them. Both Guy and Terrie got out at the same time. Nick left Judy in the car and headed over to them to tell them what had happened. Judy watched from inside the car as she held her phone in her hands, waiting for a call from anyone to take her away from this psycho's fantasies. No call ever came as the cheetah and honey badger went inside with Nick in front of them. A few seconds later, Nick came back out and headed back to the car, climbing inside.

"Judy, how are you doing?" Nick asked as he brought her close to him to give her as much comfort as possible.

"Not well Nick. We need to find this killer fast and put an end to his madness before any more innocent mammals are killed and mutilated," Judy stated, a stern look on her face. She had finally stop sobbing and now searched through her notes.

Nick had never seen her so set on a case before, not even when she dragged him along on their very first case. "I agree. Let's stop his rampage," Nick said, nodding in agreement as he began to look through his own set of notes. It wasn't five minutes later when a small car came careening down the road behind them, heading right for the building. Nick and Judy both heard the squealing of the tires and got out of their car to see who the mystery driver could be. Judy, however, immediately knew who was driving for them. She had only told one other mammal where they were, after all.

"How do you think he will handle it?" Nick asked as they both watched the car speeding towards them and the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Nick and Judy have found the killer's latest victim, Gerome, their neighbor and friend from the night before. Judy and Nick now wait for Michael, his brother to pull up so they can help him through this tragedy, this night. The next clue was once again written in the blood of the victim. 
> 
> oh my goodness I forgot something super important... PLEASE HAVE A ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT WEEK!


	7. Helping Those in Need

Nick placed his hand on Judy's shoulder, causing her to look up and see his comforting smile. "Hey, Fluff, it's not your fault. We'll both talk to him and make sure he is alright before we continue on with the case, ok?"

"I can't possibly imagine the pain he is feeling right now," Judy mumbled. The screeching of brakes caught her attention, her ears swivelling towards the source. She was met with the sight of a beat-up brown "bug," as the vehicles were called. The bunny watched with a heavy heart as the car finally stopped. The door flew open, and a distraught bunny rushed out of the car.

"Judy! Where is he? Where is Gerome!?" Michael cried out, but he didn't wait for a response, running to the building as soon as he laid eyes on it. Judy quickly blocked his path.

"I don't think you want to see it just yet, Michael! Calm down for a moment, and we will take you inside." Judy said, painfully watching as Michael's tear-soaked face contort with anger as he tried to push her out of the way.

"He's my brother! I can't just leave him alone in there!" The distraught bunny exclaimed. While screaming and shouting, Michael managed to push Judy out of the way and only took a few steps before Nick grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing the bunny to stop. As he turned Michael around, he stared him down with concern in his eyes. Micheal could only stare back at Nick, unable to break free from Nick's firm yet reassuring hold on him.

"Michael, we are here for you. Please sit down ,and once our guys are done, we can go inside," Nick said, slowly released grip on the bunny as Judy cautiously took hold of Michael's hand. His head slowly turned to Judy, and before he knew what he was doing, he threw his arms around her, shaking as he cried into her shoulder. Judy was surprised by the sudden action but recovered quickly as she wrapped her own arms around Michael. The hug's calming effect was immediate and powerful, letting him release his pent-up emotions as he slumped against the snow with Judy. Nick quickly looked away out of respect and went inside to check on Guy and Terrie.

Judy could only hug Michael tighter as she felt his tears soak into her uniform. As she pulled him closer, she could feel him violently shake against her.

"Michael! You're so cold! Let me get you a blanket," Judy suggested with concern, noticing the rabbit's shaking. She wasn't sure if it was from the cold or him crying, though.

Judy finally realized that Michael was only wearing shorts and a plain green T-shirt - not suitable for the Tundra Town climate. She helped him get up and led him over the car, opening the door for him. After he climbed into the cruiser, she closed the door and walked to the back, opening the trunk and removing the thick blanket from it. She returned to see that Michael was crying intensely again; this didn't stop, even when she threw the heavy blanket over him.

"It's ok, Michael. I'm here for you. We will find the person who did this and bring them to justice. You have my word," Judy encouraged, rubbing his back in a way that would hopefully calm him down as she sat in the seat with him. Judy and Michael sat in the car for a few minutes before he slowly managed to calm down. All the while, Judy encouraged him that everything would be alright and that he was not alone.

"Judy? I... I want to help bring this guy in," Michael stuttered a bit as he looked over at Judy with eyes that looked as though he had been crying for days, not minutes.

"I'm sorry, you can't. We have strict guidelines left by the killer to receive no help," Judy explained. She dared not look Michael in the eyes as she denied his request as politely as possible.

"I don't care! I want to help avenge my brother!" Michael repeated, his voice a little harsher than before as he continued to look at Judy.

"We can't. If we receive any help, he will kill members of our family. I... I can't have you helping us, ok? Please understand this," Judy tried explaining again, ashamed of her bluntness in refusing Michael the only way he could avenge his brother. She felt a heavy feeling sink in the pit of her stomach. Was it guilt? Was it fear? Judy didn't know, but she felt terrible nonetheless. Michael didn't say anything, but Judy could feel the anger emanating from him as he pulled the blanket tighter around himself.

The tension in the car was building at a really fast rate. Judy was quickly trying to find something to deescalate the situation. Luckily, Nick was now leaving the building. The bunny cop quickly got out of the car and headed over to Nick, leaving Michael still wrapped in his blanket. "So, is he allowed inside yet?" asked Judy as she looked up at Nick.

"They have finished up and have Gerome and his fur inside a bag, so Michael can go inside and say his farewells. Judy, there was a locked room upstairs. I'm going to check that room to see if there was anything we missed. I'll call you on the radio if I find anything," Nick explained putting his hands in his pockets. Judy saw the worried look on his face.

"Alright. I'll take Michael to his brother. You go find out what's in that room," Judy said, watching as Nick slowly turned around and walked back inside.

Nick was sure something was in that room. "Why else would that ONE room be locked out of the dozens of others?" he thought to himself. Nick's brows furrowed as he thought about what was inside the CEO's office. He climbed the stairs one step at a time, beginning to feel the chill in the air.

"Sheesh, it's cold in here," thought Nick again as he rubbed his arms to warm himself up a little. He pulled out his phone and saw that it was nearing ten at night - that would certainly explain why it was getting could rather quickly. Nick reached the top of the stairs again and headed down the hall like he had down a little bit ago. He pulled out his police baton as he drew closer to the CEO's office. Standing in front of the door, he hesitated as he decided on whether or not to turn the knob. It didn't budge - as expected. Nick took a deep breath before lifting his baton and swinging at the glass window that distorted the view from both inside and outside the room. The sound of glass shattering was loud and echoed all the way down the hall, causing Nick to grit his teeth at the new sound. He had grown used to the silence in the building, and even though he was prepared for most other situations, he had not been ready for the reverberating sound that bounced off of the walls of the desolate hallway.

Nick reached his arm inside and fumbled around, looking for the handle to the door. It didn't take long for him to find the lock and turn it, granting him access to the room. He removed his arm from the broken hole he had made and opened up the door. Entering the office, Nick was surprised to find that despite being covered in ice like the rest of the building, the office was shockingly clean. He looked around the room, first heading to the oak desk and pilfering through it as quickly as possible.

Nick didn't find anything inside the desk and sighed. "Hmm, nothing in the desk. Doesn't look like there is much in this room to begin with," he mumbled to himself. Nick's eyes scanned the room as he looked for anything that stood out.

Even with his natural night vision, Nick couldn't see much. Pulling out his flashlight to help him see, he shined the light over the bookcase and realized that all the shelves were empty. The room continued to get colder. Not wanting to risk getting sick while on such an important case, Nick turned to leave. As he headed towards the door, the light from his flashlight brightened up the hole he had created, revealing something that the fox hadn't seen. He closed the door, helping finish the full picture of whatever it was that he found. Nick felt a chill run down his spine as he realized that he was staring at another painting. It was a moment he never wanted to remember.

On the canvas was Judy with her paw held out as though to keep someone back; her other paw reached for the small object on her belt. The look of fear was very evident on her face even though she was in her police outfit and inside of the ZPD station. The fox's eyes drifted over to the other figure in the picture and saw himself, baring his teeth and claws as he reached for Judy. There was anger in his face, his ears were folded back, his snout scrunched up, and hate in his eyes. "Do you think I might try to... eat you!?" The memory echoed in his mind, the past painted before him.

As Nick glared at the painting, he saw a dark red jagged line painted between to two of them as though they were breaking apart. It took him a moment, but Nick could smell the sickly, metallic scent of blood coming off of the painting. "He made that line with the blood of Gerome?" Nick muttered, his eyes widening at the whole scene and the very painful memory that damn near ruined the relationship they had established so long ago.

Nick took a step back and pulled his radio to his face as he called out to Judy. "Judy, I found a painting. Come up here when you can, over," Nick spoke into the radio, walking over and sitting down in a chair covered in frost and dust.

"Nick, I'll be up there in a moment. Michael isn't taking it very well right now and is not happy that he can't see his brother properly, over," came Judy's voice. Nick didn't respond right away, the press conference repeating in his head like a bad song.

"Alright, I'll see you in a few minutes, Carrots, over," Nick finally said, standing back up and taking photos of the painting. "It's going to be hard to keep this intact once this starts to thaw," Nick thought as he saw the frost covering the "art" in front of him.

Nick stood outside the room with his flashlight pointed down the hall so Judy could see him when she came to find him. He had been standing there for maybe twenty minutes and was beginning to shiver rather frequently as the night dragged on. Placing the flashlight under the pit of his arm, he rubbed his paws together and breathed onto them, warming them up. It didn't take long for his paws to be a little warmer, letting him shine the light again without being too shaky.

"Nick, is that you?" called a familiar voice from down the dark corridor.

"No, its me, Mr. Big. Of course it's me, Carrots!" Nick joked as he began to walk down towards the Judy.

"Oh ha ha, that's very funny. Seriously though, where is the painting?" Judy asked. She could now see her partner, her own flashlight falling upon Nick.

Nick simply gestured to the room behind him with his snout. "This way," Nick said, using his flashlight so Judy could see.

It didn't take long for Nick to show her where the painting was when they entered the room. "Nick this is when we - I mean when I..." Judy trailed off, looking down at the ground as she also remembered the whole conversation they had back then. She gazed at the crystalized water that laid on the ground at her feet, feeling guilt rise up and down her body like waves on a beach. Nick hated it when Judy got like this: when she got upset because she remembered something horrible she did or how she couldn't help someone in need. Nick slowly bent over and reached out to Judy.

"It's ok Judy, that's behind us now. We both have changed for the better," Nick soothed, reassuring Judy by placing his finger under her chin and lifting her face to meet his.

"I know but still. I'm not proud of what I said back then," Judy said. She would have continued to speak if it wasn't for the soft, quick kiss that Nick gave her. She understood what it meant and closed her eyes as she brought Nick back in for a deeper kiss. It couldn't last long, but it gave them both comfort in knowing that they were both forgiven, and always would be.

"You bunnies are so emotional," Nick smiled at Judy as she pulled away, but she kept her paw on his cheek.

"Shut up Nick." she teased. "Let's go; we have work to do," Judy smirked at Nick, lightly tapping him on the cheek before turning around and leaving the room.

"Wow, she never ceases to amaze me!" Nick breathed, rubbing his cheek as though she had kissed it and followed her out and down the hallway.

It didn't take long for them both to find that Michael and the others were outside. Michael sat next to his car, quiet and still. Nick and Judy both headed over to him and sat down in the snow next to him. No one said anything as Nick placed his hand on the bunny's shoulder and Judy scooted over so they were touching shoulders.

"You guys!" He said bashfully, looking at both of them two or three times before continuing. "You guys are great friends and... and thank you, so much." Nick and Judy both gave him strong smiles as Judy spoke up.

"Let's get you out of the cold and somewhere nice and warm." Judy grabbed Michael's hand and pulled him to his feet, forcing Nick to stand up as well.

"That sounds nice, thank you," the bunny said, giving Judy a weak smile before a rumbling sound echoed between them all.

"Maybe we should go somewhere that serves food?" Nick suggested as he wiped the snow off of his uniform, noticing that the weather was starting to pick up.

"I know a bar that's nearby," Michael suggested, entering his car and rolling the window down. "Follow me!" he shouted as he slowly began to head down the street.

Nick and Judy both ran over to get inside their car and quickly followed Michael to the local bar. It was a rather short and quiet drive, and the group reached the bar in the course of a few minutes. The sign read "The Sloshed Sloth"; Judy couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of a drunk sloth as they found a parking spot.

The two cops watched Michael get out of his car and wait for them both by the front door. Judy gazed at the building, the "dive" feeling of the place rather prominent with its rather plain look. It didn't stand out save that lone, half-lit sign above the door. Nick and Judy followed Michael into the bar. They made a beeline straight to the counter, each of them taking a stool with Michael sitting in between the two cops. To Judy's surprise, there was no one else but a zebra at the other side of the building grabbing dishes off of tables.

Once Michael had seated himself, he placed his elbows on the table and threw his face into his hands, shaking again. Both Nick and Judy saw this and at the same time patted him on the back.

"Hey, Michael, you're a strong rabbit like me! You will make it through this horrible time," Judy soothed. "Listen, Nick and I will pay for the food and drinks tonight." Judy leaned forward so she could see his face.

Michael stopped shaking and lowered his hands, staring at Judy in awe. "You think I'm strong?" He asked, his expression of shock enough to make Judy realize that he was genuinely surprised by her statement.

"Yes, yes you are. You managed not to freak out with the terrible news, and to think that you even tried to be an officer like me takes guts. Most rabbits are content with their simple life, but not you or me. You went out of your way with your brother to make a living in the city where not many rabbits even live. You are strong, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!" Judy encouraged, taking both of Michael's hands in hers and smiling the biggest smile the male bunny had seen from her.

Sitting there like a bump on a log, Michael was stunned by the positivity he was receiving from Judy. "Judy, please, let me help. Just the smallest thing I can do will mean the world to me and give me some closure of this whole thing. Just one small, little instance of feeling helpful is enough for me," He asked, grabbing Judy's hands and shaking them as he begged and begged for a chance to help.

Nick looked over Michael to Judy and gave her a slight nod and the why-not shrug. Judy thought for a moment, hesitant to put her family or Nick's mom in danger. She pondered over the possibilities and quickly came to the conclusion that they indeed needed help as they were very far behind. "Alright Michael, you can help. But it's only on our latest clue left by the killer," Judy said, looking to Nick as he pulled out his notepad and placed it on the countertop just as the bartender came by.

"Can I get you three anything?" asked the rather tall, scruffy-looking zebra with a very heavy accent that made him sound like he was drunk.

"Some fries if you have any," Nick spoke up, raising his hand as he ordered.

"A carrot salad for me, please," Judy looked at the zebra as she ordered next.

"And you?" asked the zebra as he handled the pen in his hoofs extremely well, much to Nick and Judy's surprise.

"I would like some onion rings and a whole bottle of Buck Daniels," Michael said after a moment of thinking.

"Rough day, huh?" the zebra asked, looking at both Nick and Judy with some curiosity as he tried to possibly think of what could have happened.

"Yeah, our friend here has had it rough tonight, so please get him whatever he needs. We'll pay for everything," Judy said as she pulled out her wallet, placing a fifty dollar bill on the counter.

"Say no more, I understand," the zebra said, taking the bill and heading over to his register to input the order.

"So, this is our latest clue, and we haven't had any time to look at it yet," Nick explained as he slid the note pad over to Michael. The bunny's face scrunched up slightly as he began to think of possibilities.

"That's rather strange. It's like it's directed at you, Judy," Michael reasoned, poking the message a couple of times as he looked over to her.

"Yeah, all of the things we found are directed at me or Nick, whether it's the location or the clue itself," Judy agreed as the zebra gave back her change, along with a big bottle of whiskey, which Michael gladly took.

Michael popped the lid off and took quite a few big gulps from the bottle itself, not waiting for a glass. Nick's eyes grew wider and wider as more and more of the bottle was slowly drained by the rabbit. Judy's mouth hung wide open when Michael finally place the bottle back on the counter, nearly half of its contents missing.

"Sweet cheese and crackers! That bottle is meant for equines Michael, and you downed half of it like a champ!" Judy exclaimed as she sat there, flabbergasted that the sight of the smaller buck downing so much whiskey.

"Yeah, I've always been a heavyweight when it came to drinking. I was the life of the party when I was in highschool," Michael joked, looking up slightly as he recalled some memories. "But back to the clue. It also seems as though he doesn't like anyone getting close to you, so I think I may have to head to a friend's house for a few days until this is over," Michael stated thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Judy looked down at her paws as she spoke with a guilty tone.

Michael and Nick noticed this, but neither said anything as the rabbit looked at the clue once again. "I wonder why past is all capitalized like that," Nick said as he pointed to the word.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it has to do with the next sentence, the one mentioning me and running?" Judy put in her thoughts as the three hovered over the paper with Nick's handwriting.

"What could have possibly happened that made me run indoors, let alone get scolded for it, as the note makes it sound?" Judy mumbled, letting her thoughts run wild as she attempted to lock in on a possibility.

"Mmmm, can you smell those fries!?" Nick began to sniff the air as his stomach roared like a lion.

"Yeah, I can also smell those onion rings as well. I forgot to mention this place has some stellar food," Michael said as he began to longingly watch the door behind the bar leading to the kitchen.

The next few minutes were rather quiet as they waited and waited for the food to come out from behind that swiveling door, steam rising off of it. The anticipation was killing Judy as she realized that they had not eaten anything since last night. With that thought, the hunger hit her like a punch to the gut. She almost doubled over as the feeling began to nag at her insides. "Sheesh, I can't possibly imagine how hungry Nick must be, since he is a bottomless pit," thought Judy as she peeked a look over at Nick to see if he was showing any signs of pain.

Too her amazement, he was sitting there looking perfectly normal as he leaned on the edge of the counter and patiently waited. His eyes shifted to meet hers as he finally noticed her gaze. "Well, someone looks to be in some discomfort," Nick teased, giving her a smug smile as he rested his cheek on the arm propped up on the counter.

"I'm good, since I am getting a nice big salad to keep my strength up. What did you order? Salty fries?" Judy made a quick jab, annoyed with his smug look.

"Oh, you ordered a salad at a bar. You must be healthier than me," Nick shot back, keeping his pose as he slowly smiled, revealing just the tiniest bit of his teeth.

Judy's face went bright red with anger at Nick's demeaning comment, but before she could say anything, the front door opened. A few loud polar bears entered the bar, having trouble walking as they stumbled into some chairs in the corner of the bar. Judy turned back around as the sound of ceramic clattering against wood could be heard behind her. She was greeted with the sight of lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and other goodies laid out in front of her. She didn't wait for an invitation as she quickly grabbed a fork and began to dig in. She didn't pay any attention to Nick or Michael as they too began to ferociously eat with her. Judy had just finished her third bite when a sharp chill hit her leg, causing the scar on her leg to tingle uncomfortably.

Michael noticed that Judy had stopped eating as she leaned over to rub her leg. "What's wrong, Judy?" Michael asked with concern as the bunny cop a had a slightly pained look on her face.

"Its this darn scar on my leg. This is why I don't like Tundra Town: it acts up when it's cold out. I didn't notice it back at the abandoned building since I was so focused on work and... well..." she stopped talking as the realization clicked in her mind.

"Nick, I know where the next place is!" Judy dropped her fork and slammed her paw on the table. "Can we get some boxes to go?"

"What, you know where it is?" Michael asked, jumping up at her sudden excitement.

"Yeah, Nick grab your food and let's go!" Judy exclaimed, jumping off of the stool as she scraped her food into the styrofoam box that was handed to her.

Nick was quick to follow as he too shoveled his fries into a box given to him. "You gonna tell me what you have planned, Carrots?" Nick asked as he picked up his box and stared at Judy with a quizzical look.

Before she responded, Judy turned to Michael. "Oh Michael, will you be alright here by yourself? I don't want to leave like this but we are short on time," she asked.

"You have work to do, and I was able to help. So, I'm just going to stay here and drink to my brother's memory," Micheal said, using both hands as he lifted up his bottle and took another drink out of it.

"Sir, can you make sure he gets a taxi home tonight?" Judy looked over at the zebra who began to gather up their plates. The striped mammal looked at her and then at Michael.

"Of course! Michael here is one of my regulars!" The zebra smiled at the three as both Nick and Judy ran out the door.

"So where are we going, Carrots?" Nick asked as he followed her outside, still munching on his fries.

"We are heading to the place where I got this scar - the history museum!" Judy got inside the car and placed her box of food on Nick's seat. The fox picked it up and placed it on his lap before buckling himself in. Just as they began to pull out of the parking lot, Nick saw Michael standing outside, waving goodbye before giving them a thumbs up. Both Nick and Judy waved back as they quickly drove down the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Nick and Judy have helped Micheal through an extremely difficult moment in his life with many more to come. Nick has also found a painting of the moment when he had scared Judy after her interview with the press all those years ago. With Micheal helping them Judy had figured out where the next clue is with most likely a body as well.
> 
> What will they find at the history museum and will they be able to find the killer in time as they began to fall behind.
> 
> Please have an absolutely day or night!


	8. The Museum

"How would the killer manage to leave a body in there, of all places?" Nick questioned with a mouth full of a fries, making it hard for Judy to understand him.

"What? Oh, I'm not sure. I doubt there will be a body this time, though. At least, that's what I hope," Judy replied as she focused on the road. The snow fell in Tundra Town, leaving a small, fresh blanket on the ground. Even with the windows rolled up and the heater on, the air was cold and unwelcoming to both cops.

"I'm going to miss Gerome," started Judy with a low voice as she turned onto the main road that would lead them to downtown. "I wish I could have gotten to know him better."

"Me to. He seemed like a good rabbit," Nick agreed as he scarfed down another pawful of fries. "How long till we get to the museum?"

"It will be a really short drive: won't be as fast as a train, though," Judy teased, giving Nick a smile as she attempted to break the ice in their conversation.

"That was crazy! Still can't believe we survived that crash!" exclaimed Nick as he recalled the whole altercation with the rams and the crash itself.

"Without you, we never would have been able to stop Bellwether's evil plan," admitted Judy, smiling at the memories of their first case.

"I like hearing you and we in the same sentence," Nick winked at Judy as he gave her a sly grin.

"I bet you do, Slick Nick," Judy shot back, returning the smile as they came to a stop at a red light.

"You know, I will never tire of those amethyst eyes of yours," Nick shifted closer to Judy.

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do," answered Judy leaning forward herself.

"I will always love you, Judy," whispered Nick in her ear as he shifted his gaze down to her lips.

"I love you too, Nick," Judy breathed, gazing into his green eyes as she pulled his mouth to hers. With the lightest of touches, they connected, slowly applying pressure as they drew even closer.

Honk honk! The sounds of a car honking behind them caused both to jump up frantically and see that the light was green. Judy was quick to press her foot down on the gas and began to move forward rather quickly.

"We can pick this up later, Fluff," coughed Nick as he was a little embarrassed about the whole moment.

"Sounds good. Besides, I think those fries miss you," Judy teased, giving Nick a quick smile when she sneaked a peek at the food item.

"Oh gosh!" gasped Nick before picking one up and taking a small bite.

Judy could only smile at the handsome fox next to her as she continued to drive down the dark roads of Zootopia. The rest of the drive was rather boring as Nick again went over what he had written down in his notes. Music played over the radio, getting rid of the cold silence of the night. Nothing interesting was, on but the fact that both cops had something to listen to helped calm them down as they pulled up to the front of the history museum. Judy put the car in park before looking out Nick's window to stare at the dark, empty building that towered over them.

"Well, we're here," Judy mumbled, looking past Nick for anything out of the ordinary. "Hmm, should we just try the front door?"

"Well, how else will we get inside?" Nick asked, knowing full well that it would annoy Judy.

"Nick, not now," the rabbit said sternly as she unbuckled to get out of the car along with the red fox.

"Fine," Nick paused as he got out of the car with Judy and began to climb the stairs with her, "You know you're pretty adorable when you're mad, right?"

"Nick, you lucked out since you didn't say cute," snapped Judy as she shot an icy stare at him.

"Why did you think I avoided that word? A wise mammal doesn't anger his mate too much," Nick wisely said, pulling his tie up to his neck as it was almost undone and about to fall.

"You know what? No blueberry pie this weekend!" declared Judy as she began to walk up the stairs faster.

Nick stopped what he was doing all together and stood there like a statue with a horrified look on his face. "Nooo! Judy, please don't! I'm sorry!" begged Nick as he ran up to catch her.

"Well then, what will you do to make it up to me?" Judy asked, knowing she got him where it hurt.

"I... I... I'll do the laundry and dishes for a week!" stuttered Nick as he tried to think of something quickly.

"Leave it to a fox to think only of his stomach," thought Judy as Nick was now on his knees, his hands clamped together like he was praying. "Good enough for me," the bunny said after a few moments of agony for the fox. "Besides, I was going to make it anyways." Judy gave a him a wink as she walked past him.

"Hey, you hustled me!" groaned Nick as he fell for the "chore trap" again.

"It's ok 'Slick' Nick. You'll always be my dumb fox. Besides, I know your weakness," Judy teased as she held her paws up, using air quotes.

"Am I that easy to read?" asked Nick as he got up off of the ground to follow Judy.

Judy opened her mouth to answer, but something else caught her attention. "Nick, the door is broken," she sternly stated, pointing at the front door of the museum. It's handle was missing, and it was ajar.

Nick didn't say anything as his eyes narrowed to peer into the darkness. At first glance, he couldn't see anything, but he carefully walked inside with his trusty tranquilizer now in his paws. Judy was right behind him with her own tranq out, her ears moving back and forth as they listened for any noises. With only the sounds of their own footsteps keeping them company, they treaded deeper into the main hall of the museum, searching for any signs of a clue.

Nothing stood out to them as they scrutinized everything their eyes fell upon. It was Judy who found something first as she gazed at a directory for the visitors.

"Nick, I found a clue. Come quick!" Judy whispered just loud enough for Nick to hear her from across the room.

"What did you find?" called Nick, jogging to her to see what she had discovered.

"This," was all the bunny said as she pointed to the large directory.

"I don't get it. It's just a giant arrow pointing that way," grunted Nick as he pointed to his right.

"For priding yourself on your wits, you are rather slow," Judy grumbled. "It's directions to the next clue, Nick."

"Oh, umm, well then," stammered Nick as he grew a little red in the face with embarrassment. He followed close behind Judy, sniffing the air and looking around in the dark. All he could smell was floor cleaner and old mammal smell, though he saw another sign up ahead. The two quickly spotted a large red arrow on it as they approached. To their surprise, it was actually pointing back towards the sign they were just at. "What? Why does it want us to go back?" asked Nick as he pointed back at the other sign.

"Nick, look at what is between the two signs!" said Judy with a hushed voice, pointing towards a large open pit.

Nick's gaze followed Judy's, and he found himself staring down in the pit where they had tricked Bellwether. Judy recalled how Nick faked going savage, mauling a stuffed animal so the crazed sheep would believe she had won. But because of Judy's talent in acting and Nick's natural skill, they made the entire show look real. However, there was no happy smile on Judy's face as her eyes fell upon a dark object in the pit.

"Nick, I'll check it out. You look for other clues in here," Judy said calmly as she quickly jumped down. "There seems to be another easel down there."

"Be careful, Carrots," thought Nick as he began to look on the walls and signs for a note, arrow, letters - anything he could find. They had less than twenty four hours left to find this psychotic mammal. Nick saw Judy getting ready to drop down into the pit and opened his mouth to give some more encouragement. He was too late, however, as she quickly disappeared into the pit; he sighed and went back to work.

Judy gracefully landed on the ground and could smell the foliage around her. She didn't get a chance to enjoy the exhibit last time she was down here and was surprised that the grass and dirt were all real. She quickly pulled her flashlight out and turned on its light, allowing the rabbit to clearly see where she was walking. The light illuminated most of the pit in front of her, so Judy was quick to take note of the stand with something covering it. With caution, she slowly walked up to the stand and covered her mouth when she realized what was covering what she assumed was another painting. With an outstretched paw, she touched the fur and carefully pulled it off of the easel. The fur was dry, black, and slick as though it had been cleaned days ago. Judy turned it over to inspect it some more and was quick to realize that it was panther fur when she saw the face.

"Oh gosh," gasped Judy, dropped the fur. Taking a moment to recover, she called up to Nick. "Nick, I found the fur of a panther! Do you smell or see anything up there?"

"No, there is nothing up here!" answered Nick from above the pit.

Judy took her eyes off of the fur in her paws, looking to the painting now visible to her. Ears drooping immediately, Judy saw a painting of both Nick and Judy skinned and furless, and a black background dominated everything around them. Red streaks trailed down the painting from the bodies, their fur hanging above them as two large eyes looked down upon the scene. Judy was so scared that she almost forgot to start taking pictures with her phone for evidence. During one of the flashes from her phone, she spotted something sticking out from behind the canvas itself and quickly grabbed it to see what it was.

Judy was careful to read every word on the paper before she alerted Nick. "Nick, I found another note!"

"Alright, there doesn't seem to be anything else up here. Come to the ledge, I'll help you out," replied Nick as he was quick to get to the ledge.

Judy walked over to the edge of the pit and saw Nick on his stomach, reaching down with his paw. She placed the note and phone in her pocket before placing the flashlight back onto her belt. Gripping his paw tightly, Judy helped Nick pull her out by kicking off the ground. Pulling her flashlight out again, she shined the light onto the note to reveal it to Nick. Nick frowned at what was written, finding it strange that it was so different than the last few they had received.

"Sorry, but it seems I wasn't able to leave you a present this time around, but don't fret too much. The forest hides a lot, but all things will be discovered in time. Those little gondolas are small - small enough for two mammals to get acquainted real well. Just don't let them see that they get to you!" Nick read aloud, astonished him that it was hand written this time.

"Carrots, I think this case is coming to a close soon," hypothesized Nick as he looked around the room one last time to make sure he didn't miss anything at all.

"I think you are right. Still, this clue, it's not a clue at all. He is straight up telling us where to go!" Judy exclaimed, flabbergasted at the sudden change in the clue left behind.

"Not exactly. He wrote forest and gondola. You know how many of those we'd have to search in the Rainforest District?" Nick hissed in annoyance as he pointed it out to Judy.

"Well we can't be wasting time, now can we? Let's go find the next clue!" Judy said, wasting no time in leaving Nick behind as she run to their car. Nick quickly called in the situation at the museum before looking back at the painting and pelt next to it. After a long pause, Nick turned to leave the building.

Judy was already in the car, buckled up and ready to go when Nick finally made it to the passenger door. "What took ya so long?" Judy asked with a grin on her face.

"Oh, just checking out the exhibits. Some really neat stuff in there!" Nick joked, going along with Judy's remark.

"Stop playing around. We have to follow all of the gondola lines in the Rainforest District," Judy explained, her tone going from playful to serious.

Nick quickly got inside the car and before he could buckle in, Judy was already punching the gas, causing Nick to get sucked into the seat. After a moment, he able to get himself settled in before he dived into whatever fries he had left in his box.

"You know, I should drive. You still need to eat, Judy," suggested Nick as he eyed her untouched box of salad.

"I'll be fine. There will be time to eat later," Judy sternly said, trying to end the conversation.

"No Judy, pull the car over and eat," insisted Nick as he gently placed his paw on her shoulder.

"Nick, I'll be fine. We've done this before, have we not?" asked Judy as she glanced over at Nick, seeing the concern in his eyes.

"But this isn't like last time. This is far more demanding, and you need to keep your strength up. So eat, for me. Please!" Nick begged as he held the box in front of Judy so she could see it.

"Fine, you win," Judy sighed in defeat, pulling over to the side of the road.

They quickly switched places; Nick in the driver seat and Judy in the passenger side. Nick took a moment to eat his food along with Judy and noticed that she devoured hers at an alarming rate. Nick was quick to interrupt her eating contest. "Judy take your time. It won't do you any good if you just throw it back up!"

"Hmm?" Judy groaned through a mouthful of lettuce before swallowing it. "Fine Nick, I'll take my time," she begrudgingly agreed, taking a smaller bite this time around.

Nick watched with a smile as his partner enjoyed her food instead of just scarfing it down. Judy pulled out her notes and began to go over them again as she continued to eat her food with delight. Nick looked down at his own box to see only just a handful of fries left in it. With a shrug, he quickly finished them. Nick was about to start the car again when a soft snoring caught his attention. He looked over to see that Judy had fallen asleep suddenly, a bit of carrot sticking out of her mouth and her notepad on her lap, next to her salad. Nick smiled as he picked the carrot from her teeth, closed the box, and carefully took both the note pad and box from her paws.

Careful to not wake her, Nick grabbed the blanket from the back seat and placed it over Judy. He looked at his phone and saw that it was nearly one in the morning. He smiled as he set the alarm for 2:30 am. "Get some sleep, Fluff," thought Nick as he started the car and drove down the road towards their next destination: the Rainforest District.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Big shout out to Blenderguy15 as he has been doing amazing helping me edit my story.
> 
> Please have a wonderful day or night and I do hope you have been enjoying this story!


	9. Getting Closer

Judy slowly opened her eyes as an extremely pestering ringing sound went off next to her ear, pulling her from slumber. She took in her surroundings to find that she was still inside of the car but covered in the same blanket she had given Michael. She slowly began to register everything as she yawned and stretched, trying her best to ease the stiffness in her back and neck thanks to her unusual sleeping position.

"Sleeping? Shit!" thought Judy, now aware of where she was and what had happened. With wide eyes, she looked around to see that she was alone in the car, and that Nick's phone alarm was what woke her up. She quickly turned off the phone's alarm before looking out the window, rain pouring outside of the car. Looking over at the phone again, she saw that it was nearly 4 in the morning, but the alarm had been set for 2:30. She began to panic as realization set in: she had slept through the alarm.

With another glance around, she saw that she still had her radio next to her, so she quickly grabbed it and pressed the button. "Nick! Nick where are you!?" Judy yelled with panic, grabbing his phone and placing it in her pocket before Nick responded.

"Good morning Carrots. How was your nap?" asked Nick through the radio on Judy's shoulder.

"Where are you?!" demanded the rabbit, quickly grabbing a raincoat from under her seat. She stepped out of the car and into the heavy downpour of the Rainforest District.

"Calm down, Carrots. If you look to your left and up the hill, you'll see me," Nick's voice said through her radio with a slightly annoyed grumble. Judy followed his directions and sure enough, there he was on top of the hill.

"Wait, this is where Manchas chased us," thought Judy as she actually noticed her surroundings. Sure enough, as she headed up to Nick, she remembered the whole chase. When they had run from Manchas, Judy had slipped and Nick was able to grab her arm to keep her from falling off a log, preventing her hundred-foot fall to certain death. The memory only strengthened her faith in her boyfriend, who had defied everything his species was known for. He was brave, honest, and most of all, loyal to her and the ZPD.

As she walked up the wet path in her yellow raincoat, she recalled the look of worry in his eyes when she had been hanging off of the wooden platform. He could have left her there, but he stayed to help her survive the whole encounter. That night, he had saved her life twice in the span of just a few minutes. Something she doubted she would ever be able to repay in full.

"Who knew that all it took was a near-death experience to break that hard shell of his," thought Judy with a smirk, remembering what Nick had told her on that gondola.

The story of him wanting to be a junior ranger scout - that was something she was sure he had never told anyone else, possibly not even Finnick. He trusted her so much in such a short period of time that he gave up his darkest secret to her, just so that she would be stronger later on in life. And she was stronger, not by herself, but with Nick.

It wasn't too far of a walk, and Judy soon stepped onto the wooden platform. She went straight to Nick and frowned at him angrily, crossing her arms with a mighty "hmph" to get her message across: she was not happy with him at the moment. Nick watched her the whole time she walked up the path, occasionally looking back at the gondolas that showed up.

"Don't give me that look, Carrots. You were so cute sleeping in the car, with your soft snoring and drool running down the side of your face," Nick spoke to Judy as though she wasn't an adult, causing her to frown even more with frustration. Nick looked back at an approaching gondola, and Judy took the opportunity to touch her cheek to see if she really had been drooling. Sure enough, she could feel her fur matted in a line, starting from her lip and running all the way down to her neck. Judy was quick to brush her fur down with her paw. Unfortunately, she was not quick enough to do it unnoticed as Nick turned back just in time to catch the end of her ordeal.

"Nick, not one word," Judy threatened, intensely staring Nick down with a scowl, further proving how angry she was with him.

"I'm sorry Fluff. Hey, what time is it anyways?" asked Nick, quickly trying to change the subject and not get into any more trouble.

"Its nearly four in the morning you ass! We don't have time to take naps and sit on our butts!" yelled Judy at the top of her lungs so she could be heard over the rain.

"I'm sorry. Why do you think I've been here this whole time. I knew you would get upset if I went off on my own. Besides, I believe that the next clue is actually on one of these gondolas," defended Nick as he tried to explain his actions to the visibly angry rabbit.

"Oh, do you now?" Judy snapped, her brow raised slightly at the only good news she heard so far since she had been awake. "That still doesn't excuse you for doing this all by yourself!"

"I know, I broke protocol. But you looked like you really needed the sleep, Judy," Nick ears were folded back as he slowly looked down at his hindpaws. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

Looking at the sad fox that stood before her, it dawned on Judy that he had tried his best to stay safe and give her a moment's peace. He had been in such a good mood, but now he probably felt terrible because he took the liberty to let her sleep while he searched for clues the safest way he could. He had even managed to do it in a way that kept him close by in hopes of keeping her from getting upset like she was now. With her yelling at him, he was clearly saddened that he had made her worry so much.

"I'm sorry Nick, I was just worried. You did fine. I should be more trusting in your judgment," Judy sighed while she wrapped her arms around the fox. Nick returned the hug as he pulled her closer to him. They held each other in their warm embrace until they finally heard another gondola approaching.

"Listen, Carrots, I believe that the next clue is on one of these. The killer was clearly pointing at these things in the most recent clue," Nick took a deep breathe before he continued. "So I figured why run all over the Rainforest District when we could just wait for the clue to come to us. Not only does it save time, but we can also take a moment to rest while doing our job!" Nick walked up to the edge of the platform as the next gondola arrived. It was empty.

"That's pretty smart, Nick. So how long have you been at this?" asked Judy as she stood next to Nick, staring into the night and waiting for the next gondola to arrive.

"Nearly two and a half hours. I had to fill the car with gas before we got here," Nick answered, wrapping his arm around Judy and pulling her closer to him.

"Do you think they will surrender peacefully when we finally confront them?" Judy asked with concern lining her voice.

"I don't know, but from what he is hinting at, maybe?" Nick answered with an uncertainty coating his voice. Nick and Judy sat in silence as the rain slowly calmed down to nothing more than a light trickle. The soft pitter-patter of the rain brought a soothing sensation that neither cop could describe. The calmness brought to Judy thoughts of the Nocturnal District and what she had learned about Nick's father.

"We've been together for a couple years now, and we barely talked about our past," started Judy as she came to realize that she didn't know a lot about her partner and why he was on the streets. "How did you end up on the streets in the first place?" she asked, breaking the silence they had been enjoying for the past few minutes.

"Why the sudden interest, Carrots?" Nick asked, quickly looking down at the rabbit. She didn't look at him right away, instead looking out over the what she could see in the darkness of night.

"The killer knew things about your past I never knew. I… It just makes me worried that I don't know anything about you. You've met my whole family, but I have yet to meet your mother, now that I think about it," Judy pondered as she looked up at Nick with big, sad eyes.

Nick could see that she was seriously upset that she hadn't tried her best to get to know him. He had told her about the incident that changed him when he was a kid but that was about it. Having been together for nearly two years now, Nick knew a lot about Judy. He knew about her fight with Gideon, about how she had tried hard for so long to become an officer, about the ridicule from family and friends had for her "silly" dream. He had eventually got to meet them all - her parents, her siblings, even Gideon. Now, they were all genuinely happy for her, knowing that she gets to live out her dream. Slowly but surely it hit the fox: he had been so focused on her that he had neglected to let her be focused on him.

"It's alright Judy. With unspoken words we agreed that I would let you know more about me - that with time, I would tell you my history. What I didn't expect was that I was denying you of that. I was to ashamed and angry at myself to let you know, but not anymore. You want to know why I was on the streets, right?" Nick spoke with pain and seriousness mixed together in his voice.

Judy didn't say yes, knowing that he would continue as soon as he collected himself. "I ran away from home. I wasn't lying when I said I was doing scams since I was twelve. After the other scouts muzzled and bullied me, life didn't get easier. Mom quickly found out what happened when she saw my marks and ruffled fur. She was upset, but she still held that smile of hers, never breaking it once. Seeing her with that kind, loving look in her eyes made my tears fade away," Nick paused as he walked over to the railing and leaned on it for support, turning back to Judy before he continued.

"My mom had to work two or three jobs so she could provide the basic essentials for me, and sometimes, that still wasn't enough. There were days where she wouldn't eat just so I could be fed. Over the next few years, I grew aware of what was happening. I quickly got it into my head that we could do a little better if I could help. So I made my first scam when I was eleven, conning nearly forty dollars from an old moose." Nick's face slowly churned to one of shame and self-hate as he recalled the memory.

Judy followed Nick and stood next to him as he burned his gaze into the wooden planks of the platform. The fox was visibly upset, but Judy could tell that he was also getting stronger as he confided into her.

"It was a few days after she had given me my father's tie when I finally ran away from home. I heard her crying on the phone one night, so I decided to listen in. Mom hardly never cried, and to hear her just made my blood run cold. I'll never forget what I heard: 'Mom, I need your help. I need you to look after little Nicky for a bit, until I can get back on my feet.' Hearing those words tore my heart apart. Mom, my mother, the strongest person I knew, was asking for help from grandma. It was at that moment that I decided to run away. I… I thought it was my fault, that it was I who was doing this to her," Nick's voice cracked under the strain of trying to speak over his sobbing.

Judy was about to speak up when Nick held up a paw. "I'm not done yet, Carrots. I packed up everything I needed and snuck out the window while she was still on the phone; there was no note, no goodbye. I left so she could help herself." Nick took a deep breath to collect himself before looking over to the rabbit next to him. "You want to know where all the money I ever made went? I kept just enough to feed myself for the day and gave the rest to my mother. I placed it in an envelope and slid it into the mail slot of our house,"

Nick could no longer contain himself and slumped to the ground, crying. These were tears that Judy had never seen before: tears of pain and regret for leaving his mother. "I never made direct contact with her since the day I ran from home. It wasn't till a few months after you came back to me that I went finally back to her myself," Nick sputtered out his words as he placed his face into his paws, unable to hold back to torrent of tears running down his face.

Judy had never seen Nick like this before. It tore her heart to see the smug fox so broken. He always did his best to be strong, to "never let them see they got to him." Yet here he was, sitting on the wet, wooden floor, letting all his sorrow out. Judy began to recall how Nick had said that he had things to do before disappearing for nearly an entire week. "So that's where he went to," thought Judy as she came to the conclusion that he had spent the week patching things up with his mother just before he went to the academy.

"She didn't do well, Judy. Me running away was what broke her. She became a drug addict. I forced my mother into that nightmare and without knowing it, I fueled her addiction with the money I gave her. When I went back to her, she was a mess: the house was in ruins, she had lost her beauty, and she had become dependant on the drugs. When I found out, I called the one friend I had, Finnick, to help me care for her that entire week. That was the hardest week of my life, Judy. Having to restrain her as she tried to take her "medicine" that she had stashed all over the house was terrifying. I was afraid that I would hurt her!" Nick spilled over his words as he looked up to the rabbit that stood over him. He could see the look in her eyes as she covered her mouth. It was enough to let him know that she was devastated as well.

"After that week, Finnick helped me get her into an addiction center. Those days off I had when you worked, I spent visiting her. These past four years had not been easy for her, but she was making a strong recovery. I slept under that bridge for so long even after being on the force just so I could pay for her treatment in full. I would go days without eating just so she could stay there. Finnick also helped me from time to time when I couldn't make payments. It wasn't till last year that she had made a full recovery and was released to go home. I still visit her from time to time, and she is starting to look like her old self again. That smile she once carried is coming back, her fur is growing soft again, and she is no longer skin and bones. I've told her about us, and she can't wait to meet you!" Nick gave a big smile to Judy as he uttered these words, tears still streaming down his face. It was obvious to Judy that he was trying to end the story on a good note, his smile was genuine.

"After this case, why don't we go visit her?" Judy suggested as she sat down next to Nick, pulling him in for an embrace that only one who loves you more than life could give. They sat there for a long time, soaked, tired, cold, and closer than ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> I decided to take it a little slower in this 
> 
> chapter and focus a little more on Nick's past. There isn't much about why he was coning at such a young age and the fact he was most likely living under that bridge so I decided to use those to my advantage. I hope it wasn't too much.
> 
> Please leave a review/comment as I love reading reviews and I respond to everyone!
> 
> Please have a absolutely wonderful day/night!


	10. Hard Evidence

Judy had no idea how long they sat there, but she couldn't care less. As long as she and Nick held onto each other like they were, they could sit there for an eternity. Despite them being wet and cold, their bodies being so close to each other gave them both a sensation of warmth that cascaded over them like a gentle stream. It was wonderful, bringing a peace of mind to the two mammals. Judy stared into Nick's emerald eyes, not daring to tear her gaze away. Nick was in the same predicament as he stared into her violet eyes.

When a gondola arrived, Judy would gently pull herself away to see if there was a clue. After checking, she would return to her place in the crook of Nick's arm. Thankfully, it had finally stopped raining, so they could slowly dry off. With the heat returning to their bodies, so did the warmth increase between the two. The two sat there in each other's arms, enjoying the time they shared. Nick was no longer a mess and had managed to calm himself down after a while. It was quiet as neither wanted to ruin the moment that had been given to them.

The only noises accompanying them were the sound of water dripping, bugs buzzing, and their calm breathing. Judy rested her head on Nick's chest, clearly hearing the beat of his heart. The soft ba-dump ba-dump brought more calming sensations to her. She wanted to stay here with him, in his arms, head on his chest, enjoying what they had going for as long as possible. But the sound of another gondola arriving sounded, so Judy had to reluctantly pull herself from his body and stand up.

Nick was saddened as well when she walked to the edge and waited for the gondola to finally arrive. The bunny waited impatiently, wanting nothing more than to return to her fox and cuddle some more. Tapping her foot rapidly, she stared out into the darkness with a scowl on her face. Finally, after a minute or so could she finally see the gondola arriving. Judy was starting to get cold again as she no longer had the warm, red, furred, mass that was Nick next to her, so she began to rub her arms to bring some heat back to them.

After a few seconds, two red arms wrapped themselves around her and pulled her back into a gentle hug.

"You looked cold, so I came to warm you up," said the all-too-familiar voice of her foxy lover.

"Thank you," Judy said as she hugged the arms of the fox holding her in his loving embrace.

She looked straight up and was once again greeted by the sight of Nick's beautiful eyes. Eyes that made her weak and strong all in one swirling mass of emotions. Before she could do much of anything in response, she felt his lips press against her forehead. Nick gave her that sly smile of his as he slowly reach for her lips this time around. Judy didn't fight back as they connected for just a few moments. It wasn't long, but it was an exhilarating moment for the two.

"Nick, I love you so much. I'll always accept you for who you are. Never forget that," Judy whispered into his ear as he gave her a quick kiss on her neck.

"Will I forget that? No, no I won't," replied Nick, releasing his soothing hug on her just as the next gondola pulled up.

With fear and worry in their hearts they, looked into it when it finally stopped. Both of them took a sharp intake of air at the sight: sitting in the center of the ride was another painting.

Nick pulled out his radio and ordered for the gondolas to be stopped. Judy looked over to him with surprise. "He was on the radio with the gondola operators this entire time?" thought Judy as she turned back to look at a truly terrifying painting.

Reaching out, she pulled open the door and stepped into the tram to get a better look at the painting. Step after step, Judy edged closer and closer till she was mere inches away from it. She was worried for Nick: the mammal in the painting was frail, withered, and sad. Slowly, Judy turned around and could see anger, fear, and regret - all in one package - sweep over Nick's face as he took a step closer to the painting. Nick was inches from stepping onto the gondola when he felt something tightly wrap around his midriff.

He painstakingly looked down to see Judy hugging him and giving him a look - a look that convoyed an unspoken message to him, letting him know that he was going to be ok, that she would be ok. Nick could only smile at the rabbit before he looked back up to the painting. A single question crossed his mind as he stared at the portrait of his mother, "Why is he so obsessed with us?"

After a few more moments, Judy released the comforting hug. Turning around, she stepped back onto the rocking gondola to investigate it some more. She looked at the painting to see if anything was on it - a message, a note, anything to tell them where the next clue would be. Judy's ears began to move to as she heard Nick calling in the newly found painting so the proper mammals could take it for evidence. She tossed a glance back at Nick to see him on the radio, facing the other way. As she brought her own head back around, Judy saw a bright, white object stand out in the darkened corner of the ride.

Quickly scooping it up off the ground, she realized it was an envelope that was actually sealed. She nearly tore it open before a thought crossed her mind and stopped her. "Wait, this thing is sealed! The killer might have licked it!" Judy nearly screamed with joy at the possible solid piece of evidence since this whole case started.

Nick jumped with shock at the sudden eep Judy had made and turned to see the large smile on her face, the white envelope in her paw. "Don't do that Carrots! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Wait, what is that?" Nick's eyes were wide with shock as he stared at both Judy and the envelope.

Judy couldn't suppress her smile as she lightly shook the parcel before speaking, "Nick, this is an envelope," stated Judy, holding it in the air for him to see.

"Yeah, so?" Nick didn't quite understand what she was getting at as he stepped closer to her.

"So? So? Nick, this is a sealed envelope! How do you seal them?" asked Judy, still shaking the parcel in her paw.

"I don't know, you lick them?" Nick answered coarsely, still not getting what she was implying. Just as the final word left his mouth, it hit him like a bag of bricks. "Oh my goodness, Judy, he might have licked it to seal it! This is great! We need to get this to the station as soon as possible." Nick's tail excitedly wagged, showing how ecstatic he was about the good news.

"First, we need to make sure we searched the entire gondola for clues. I don't want this bastard to get away because we left the scene right after finding some possible hard evidence," stated Judy as she handed the envelope to Nick. She then went back to search the rest of the area. She could hear Nick calling in what they had found so far as she crouched to the ground, looking for clues. It quickly became evident to her that it was far too dark in the corners for her eyesight and quickly pulled out her phone to shine some light.

Her eyes had to adjust to the sudden brightness her phone gave, since she only had the light from a nearby pier lamp illuminating her world for who knew how long. She quickly closed her eyes and grimaced to block out the light, waiting a few seconds before chancing a peek. Once her eyes grew accustomed to the new source of light, she noticed that the corner in which she found the newest piece of evidence had nothing else to go along with it. Judy stood up and moved to other parts of the gondola.

Judy used her phone carefully guiding its light over the floor and sides of the machine she was standing in.

One side down with nothing in it.

Two sides down, still nothing.

Three sides covered and searched. Again, nothing.

Judy brought her phone to the fourth and final side of the gondola, the side behind the painting. The last location had revealed the fur of some poor soul, but no body to go with it. A chill ran down her spine as she realized that she could quite easily find said body here. Millisecond after millisecond passed as Judy brought her phone's light over the illuminate the final spot. As the circle of light danced across the floor, her anxiety was high and prepared for the worst.

Taking a deep breath, Judy gathered her strength and centered the light on the final side. Her shoulders slacked a bit as she sighed in relief; there was no body to be found. Judy rubbed the back of her neck as she slowly and meticulously searched the final spot for any possible clues. She was careful as she checked every inch of the gondola before she finally stepped off of it. She looked over the horizon of the Rainforest District and could see the light from the sun ever so lightly poking out over the edge of land and sky. With astonishment, she quickly pulled out her phone and checked the time.

"5:34 in the morning!" Judy screamed internally as she put the phone away and remembered that she still had Nick's phone on her. She pulled it out of her pocket and proceeded to walk over to Nick, who had just finished filling in the station on what was going on so far. Nick's ears perked up when he saw Judy not wearing a face of worry, and relief washed over him as he knew that there was no body this time.

"How the search go?" Nick asked as he took his hand off of the radio.

"Nothing turned up on the gondola, other than the painting and envelope I found," Judy answered as she handed Nick's phone back to him. Nick looked down at the phone in his paw for a moment before smiling and looking back at Judy.

"I didn't expect there to be anything else on there. I mean, look how small that thing is," Nick casually said as he turned around and started to head towards their cruiser at the bottom of the hill. Judy watched as the fox left her on the pier, smiling at the bit of sarcasm hidden underneath his voice. Judy looked back at the gondola one last time before she pulled out her carrot pen and wrote down the what she had found so far. Once that was done, she was quick to follow Nick to the cruiser where it was warm, cozy, and most importantly, dry.

Judy sat in the driver's seat, wanting to drive this time around. Nick didn't complain, having been on the radio for a while and reporting everything they had found since they had started this case. Once Nick had relayed the events of the day on his radio, he told the mammal working the night shift at the Precinct that he and Judy were coming in with some evidence.

"Yeah, until the guys down in the labs do their thing, we're kinda stuck. Sure, the clue is in this here envelope, but there is a risk that the killer's DNA will be unidentifiable if we try opening it. So, we are heading in to bring Bogo up to date and sort out everything we have so far," Nick explained to the night shift receptionist.

"Alright then, I'll let the chief know when he gets in. Have a safe drive, Officers," answered the voice with a little excitement as it was getting close for Clawhauser to come in and work the day shift.

"Sounds like someone is ready to go home," commented Judy as she checked the time.

Nick was faster as he peeked at the dashboard of the cruiser and saw the time. "Well, it is closing in on six in the morning. Clawhauser should be there when we arrive!" Nick was excited about the idea of being inside a warm building with coffee and semi-cozy chairs.

"Most likely. Once we get there, we will have to wait a few hours until we're able to see the clue. While we wait, we can go over what we know about the killer and the possible connections between the victims," Judy said, her tone just a little condescending.

"You make it sound like I will forget," chimed in Nick, catching the tone in her voice.

"I can never be sure, Slick," Judy shot back, giving him a smile as she continued driving the cruiser out of the Rainforest District and into the downtown area.

Nick only nodded in response as he looked out the window and watched the scenery fly by like a slideshow, entranced as the rain slid off of the window. Nick was so focused on watching the lines on the road pass by that he didn't hear Judy calling his name.

"Nick!" Judy shouted as she slammed on the brakes, causing him to lurch forward without warning. Nick managed to put his arm forward and catch himself before his snout connected with the dashboard.

"Whoa! Hey, Carrots! What was that about?" asked the stunned fox as he straightened himself back into his seat.

"You wouldn't answer my question," said Judy firmly, locking eyes with Nick.

"Oh, sorry, what question would that be?" asked Nick as he casually avoided the rabbit's gaze.

"I was asking if should we go and pick up the specialist from the airport after we drop this off?" Judy held up the valuable evidence and clue wrapped in paper.

"I don't see why not. While we'll be waiting for the lab mammals to do their work, we can tell the new guy what we have so far," Nick said after contemplating for nearly a minute. He looked Judy in the eyes, and they both came to an agreement. As Judy began to drive again, the two sat in silence.

After a what seemed like an hour, they finally pulled into the parking lot of Precinct 1. Judy didn't hesitate and was quick to find a parking spot. Once they had pulled up, they were fast to unbuckle themselves and leave the cruiser. Nick struggled to keep up with his bunny partner, her pace rather quick. Once inside, Judy went straight to the receptionist's desk and was greeted by the friendly cheetah who was munching on a box of donuts.

"Clawhauser! Is the chief in?" Judy demanded without being rude about it.

"Oh hey, Judy. Yeah, he just went to his office. I'll tell him you're on your way to him right now," answered the "fluffy" cheetah with a beaming smile.

"Thank you. Come on Nick, let's go!" Judy darted off without another word, forcing the fox to chase after her in an attempt to keep up. Judy ran up the stairs three at a time while Nick had trouble going up just two at a time. "How is she able to go up these so fast?! The steps alone are nearly as tall as her!" thought Nick with shock before stumbling and falling on the stairs.

"Ouch," mumbled Nick before resuming the little game of follow the leader.

Judy stood in front of Bogo's office door, just moments from knocking when Nick finally managed to catch up. No words were spoken as Nick stood right behind her, and she gave three quick raps on the door.

"Come in!" boomed the buffalo's voice.

Not wasting a moment, they entered the office and went straight to the chair that sat in front of the chief's desk. Both quickly hopped onto the large seat, giving their full attention to Chief Bogo once they were settled.

"I was told you two have possible DNA evidence?" asked Bogo, not wasting time with idle chat.

"Yes, here you go sir!" Judy answered with enthusiasm as she handed Bogo the envelope.

"Hmm, good work. I'll have the boys down in the labs get to work right away so you can have what's inside. Also, I heard you wanted to pick up the specialist from the airport. Is that right?" Bogo asked after placing the envelope on his desk.

"Yes sir!" Judy was again extremely proper when she answered him.

"No," stated the caped buffalo, raising his hoof before Judy could protest. "I want you two to go and get some sleep and food. It will be a couple hours till you get this back," Bogo tapped the paper on his desk.

"But sir!" Judy tried to argue, but again, the buffalo held up his hoof.

"That's an order, Hopps. I can't have my two best officers end up dead because they didn't think about their own health before confronting the killer!" Bogo slightly raised his voice as he stood up from behind his desk. "Now, I've got to give out assignments and drop this envelope off too. I'll call for you when we have any news." Bogo opened his door for the two of them to leave. Nick and Judy took the hint and quickly left with the chief.

The duo stood there and watched as the chief headed down the hall, leaving the two alone.

"Well, what now?" asked Judy, who was completely lost and without direction.

"Breakfast!" exclaimed Nick, grabbing her paw and dragging her along.

"Aghh! What are you doing Nick!?" shouted Judy, surprised by the sudden behavior from the fox.

"The chief told us to eat and sleep, so let's go get some juice and donuts! Then after that, we can go get some sleep somewhere in this building!" Nick joyfully answered, still dragging the bunny by her paw as they went down the elevator.

The thought of orange juice and donuts did make Judy's stomach rumble loudly, and with that, she quickly ran past Nick, taking the lead. Once back in the lobby, Judy and Nick spotted Clawhauser and the two boxes of donuts on his desk. With their target in sight, they both calmly walked over with their paws still intertwined.

"Hey Benji! Can you spare a couple of donuts for us?" Judy asked as she stood next to Nick in front of the cheetah's desk.

"Sure thing you two!" answered Clawhauser as he handed them a box. Noticing the two holding paws, he looked at Nick who was smiling at the bunny. The cheetah tried to be discreet about the situation. "Ahem! No public displays of affection, you two love birds," teased Benjamin, causing them to both realized that they hadn't let go of each other since Nick grabbed her paw a few minutes ago.

"Ohh!" Judy exclaimed as she pulled her paw from Nick's, causing him to comment on it.

"I'm hurt! You would value our job over me?" asked Nick, mocking his pain as he put the back of his paw against his forehead in a dramatic gesture.

"Oh be quiet, you!" Judy chuckled as she shoved a blueberry donut into his muzzle, "Eat up, you sly fox!"

Nick was completely caught off guard for a moment before he tasted the blueberries. Forgiving Judy this time, he grabbed the donut and took a bite from it, savoring the flavor as he slowly chewed it. Judy did the same thing with what appeared to be a maple-flavored donut. Clawhauser, feeling left out, grabbed a sprinkled donut and took a massive bite out of it. Words were not exchanged as the three surprisingly destroyed the box of donuts without remorse. All was silent until the cheetah finished off the last donut of the first box.

"Those hit the spot!" Judy shouted gleefully as she licked the tips of her fingers for the remnants of flavor and crumbs.

"Indeed, those were great!" Nick agreed as he wiped his paws together to get what crumbs were left off of him.

Clawhauser mimicked Judy, suckling on his fingers. After everyone had their fill, the thirst hit both Nick and Judy hard. They had nothing to drink for over twenty four hours, and both were parched.

"I'm dying of thirst. Let's go over to Snarlbuck's and get some caffeinated juice!" suggested Nick as he placed the empty box of donuts on Clawhauser's desk. Without waiting for a response, he started to head to the exit with Judy right behind him. They left the building and were greeted by the bright light of the morning sun in their eyes. Both quickly tossed their paws up to block and adjust to the light before they headed over to their cruiser. They got inside with Nick driving and Judy in the passenger seat. They hadn't even buckled in when Judy spoke up.

"Breakfast was a great idea!" admitted Judy as she leaned towards Nick.

"Thank you, my sweet carrot," Nick thanked Judy as he leaned in as well.

Judy scooted closer to Nick, forcing him to lean back into his chair so she could crawl into his lap. The bunny looked into Nick's eyes before suddenly planting her lips on his. Nick accepted the kiss and hugged the bunny who assaulted him with love. Judy pulled back after a minute, turning around and leaning back into Nick's chest. The fox chuckled and was about to say something before he was cut off by the soft snoring of the the rabbit. He chuckled and patted her head as he leaned back, smiling the whole time. He could feel himself drift off to slumber, his eyelids growing heavy. Suddenly, the sound of knocking on the window behind him woke Nick up. Somewhat groggy, he turned to find Officer McHorn knocking on their window.

"Hey you two, the Chief wants you in his office, now!" boomed the rhino before walking away back to the station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Thank you for staying with me for so long it means a lot to me.
> 
> Feel free to leave a review as I just love hearing you "voice" and opinions on my story! :)
> 
> Please have a wonderful day/night and have enjoy yourselves!


	11. Choices

Chief Bogo sat in his office, looking at the note in his hoof. With a heavy sigh, he tossed it onto his desk and leaned back. A worried look crept over Bogo's face, contorting his face into a frown that not many officers saw in their lifetime. "What is his endgame?" asked Bogo to no one in particular as he was alone. The buffalo was not sure if he should allow Nick and Judy continue to investigation at all due to how personal it was becoming for them. But for the sake of the citizens of the city, he had no choice. Either they played his game, or the killer runs free, killing even more mammals. Bogo hated everything about the killer and this whole situation.

He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either decision was both right and wrong for both the right and wrong reasons. This was easily one of the toughest things he ever had to deal with. The buffalo leaned forward and placed his head in his hooves as he let out a deep grumble of a sigh.

Knock, knock, knock

Chief Bogo knew who was knocking at his door and leaned back into his seat before calling out, "Come in!"

The door opened to reveal Nick and Judy walking in, both rubbing their eyes and holding coffee. It was obvious to Bogo that they had been sleeping. He didn't blame them as it wasn't easy to stay up for over twenty four hours, constantly being on the move.

"You wanted to see us, Chief?" asked Judy as the two quickly sat on the oversized chair that sat in front of the chief's desk. Nick's attention was fully directed at Bogo, as was Judy's. Bogo quickly noticed this and wasted no time with small talk.

"Yes: you two are still on the case. The specialist is here and is already doing phenomenal work. We've even run some tests on the envelope and the letter inside. The moment the lab boys got it done, they allowed us to make a copy for you two. Here is the letter. Now get back out there and stop this psycho. The specialist said he will have info for us later today," Chief Bogo stated and held his hoof up so he could keep them from speaking. Once he finished, he stood up, grabbed the duplicate of the original letter and handed it to Judy. "Bring this freak down," demanded Bogo as both Nick and Judy stood up in the chair.

"We won't let you down Chief!" stated Judy proudly, and with a mighty display, she saluted the buffalo and took the letter from him. The chief returned the salute and watched as the two left his office in a hurry.

"Good luck, Officers Hopps and Wilde," Bogo said as the door finally closed. He thought they didn't hear him, but Judy, with her splendid hearing, indeed caught those words. A smile crept onto her face as she ran down the hallway with Nick right behind her.

Once they had made their way to the lobby, they were stopped by Clawhauser. "Hey guys! How are you two doing?" he asked with his normal, cheery, demeanor.

"It's been a long day and night, and it looks like it will be another long day again," admitted Judy as she stopped to answer the large cheetah. Nick continued his walk to the front doors without stopping. "Sorry Benji, but we can't talk!" called Judy as she followed Nick to the doors.

"You're fine! Bring this guy in!" called Clawhauser just as they closed the doors. The cheetah's face hardened a bit as he looked down at the paper on his desk. As he slowly read over it, his happy smile fell from his face even further.

"How do you do it, Judy? Not an ounce of worry on your face as you attempt to solve this case. You are one tough mammal!" thought Clawhauser as he read up on the latest reports on the "Butcher of Zootopia" as he had finally been called by the media. It amazed him how quickly the media could turn a simple flame into a blazing inferno. The city was terrified, and it had only been thirty or so hours since the discovery of the first few bodies.

"Hello, can you help me?" called a voice from over his desk. Putting on his cheerful smile, Clawhauser proceeded to help the distraught-looking elk in front of him.

Nick and Judy buckled themselves in, ready to start driving. They decided to read the note from the killer first, though. Once they were settled in, Judy held the paper up and began to read it outloud.

"My, my, my, to think you managed to get this far impresses me. You sure don't fall short of my high expectations. If my calculations and timing are right, it should be noon for you. That's if you are on time. As for the next clue - which you must be so anxious to see - I will be generous and grant you what you desire. While I was doing "research" on you, Nick, I noticed something. You used to be a Junior Ranger Scout. Let's just say I checked up on the old place." Judy finished the note and quickly pulled her phone and looked at the time. It was just a few minutes past eight in the morning.

"Nick! You're a genius! Waiting in that spot for the gondola and not running all over the Rainforest District saved us nearly three hours. Hell, even maybe more! We're ahead now!" screamed Judy with jubilation.

"Thank you, but this is truly odd. He is telling us where to go. I don't like it one bit," commented Nick as he gave a quick flick of his paw onto the paper.

"Yeah, this is different. I think he is getting ahead of himself. He planned all of this for what I can only tell is months, maybe even a year or two. To think he would risk it all with prepared notes, voicing his victory even before he actually won. Something is wrong here!" agreed Judy as she placed the paper into the glove compartment. Nick nodded as he took the wheel once more and began to pull out of the parking lot.

"So where is this place, Nick?" Judy asked after a few moments of silence. The happy-looking streets of Savannah Central gave way to a run down neighborhood. It wasn't anything like the last few places they had visited, but it wasn't a pretty area. Litter was strewn over the streets, paint was peeling off of a lot of buildings, and metal bars covered the windows of most shops. It was obvious to Judy that this section of town was overlooked a bit by the ZPD.

Nick didn't respond immediately, instead staring straight ahead at the road. With a deep sigh and a few deep breathes, he finally answered. "We're heading to Happy Town, where the Junior Ranger Scouts old headquarters is. It's abandoned and in one of the worse parts of the district, so expect a body this time around," Nick said with an unsteady voice. This was not going to be easy; he hadn't been in this building for over twenty years, and this psycho was bringing him back to relive it all in his own sick, twisted way.

"I'm here for you, Nick. I will always be ready to face the challenges of our past and future together with you," stated Judy as she tried to cheer him up.

"Thank you," replied Nick. He tried to say more, but nothing came to mind as he sat there looking at Judy with a dumb expression on his face. Judy smiled at his inability to respond and picked up the radio.

"This is Officer Hopps, we may need a van here within the hour," Judy spoke loudly and clearly so Clawhauser could hear her properly.

"Alright, we will have one on standby for you guys!" responded the large cheetah.

"How long till we arrive, Nick?" asked Judy as she placed the mic back into its spot. She looked over and saw the serious look on his face.

"Not long, maybe twenty minutes or so," Nick was quick to answer. As quickly as he said this, he realized he was being a bit harsh and turned to give a wide smile to his rabbit. "Sorry for being short with you, Carrots. I'm just nervous. It's been years since I've been in this part of town," admitted Nick as he tried to relax a bit.

"It's alright Nick, I understand. This isn't easy for either of us, but we will get through this!" Judy proudly stated as she placed her paw onto his. The touch's effects were immediate as his tight grip on the steering wheel loosened and his body relaxed. Nick couldn't help but feel a warmth run through his body as his icy glare at the road gradually turn to one of love. His view changed from the road to the rabbit sitting next to him and rubbing his paw in an attempt to assure him he wasn't doing all of this alone.

He opened his mouth to say something just as Judy pointed at the road with a grin on her face. "Hey slick, red light ahead," teased Judy as she leaned back into her seat. Nick chuckled as he slowed the car to a stop just before the intersection. Turning her head to look out the window, Judy saw a group of cubs playing on the sidewalk. All of them were wearing baseball gloves and tossing a ball between the four of them. The bunny smiled as she saw an ewe, a couple of bear cubs, and an elk having fun, not a care in the world about how different they were to each other. All that mattered to them was that they were friends and that they could play catch.

"This part of the city is a little dirtier than other parts, but everyone here looks out for each other. They help one another. I guess it's the only reason we still call it Happy Town," Nick let out a sigh as he finished his quick comment.

"What do you mean by 'we?'" Judy asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"I thought I told you or you would have known by now, but this is where I grew up. In fact, my mom's place is only a few block's from here," answered Nick with that grin of his. "I learned from my neighbors and friends to truly 'know everyone.' It's how I got by for so long: I just got to know everyone in some way or another once I started out on the streets. But enough of that, let's see what awaits us in that terrible place." His smile faded only slightly as he turned down another road. Judy nodded in agreement and continued to watch the mammals as the crowds grew more and more scarce. In a sick way, it reminded her of the Nocturnal Theatre's road as they pulled up to a very broken, decaying building.

Nick and Judy unbuckled quickly, preparing their tranq guns once again. Judy was the first to step out of the car and surveyed the area, looking to see if there was anyone around they could question. There wasn't a soul in sight, so Judy gave up after a few moments. The sound of the car door shutting alerted her that Nick had exited the cruiser as well. She turned to see Nick with his gun already in his paw as he smiled at Judy.

"You ready?" was all he asked as he walked past her and up the stairs. He knew what she would say, of course.

"Yes, yes I am!" said Judy, trying to contain herself as they walked up the stairs together.

Before they even reach the top, they saw that the door was already open. The rancid smell of mold wafted from the opening. Nick crunched his nose up in disgust as he pushed the door open. Both he and Judy aimed their guns in every direction as they carefully entered the building. Just seconds after entering, Nick lowered his gun, memories penetrating his mind. He took a deep breath and quickly shook his head to chase the terrible thoughts away. Nick felt something push against his shin, and before he could react, a loud click could be heard from his right.

Without hesitation, he tackled Judy to the ground and wrapped himself around her, shielding her from what would be coming.

"Agh, Nick! Get off!" shouted Judy after a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry Judy, I thought I triggered a tra…" He didn't finish his sentence as a voice boomed from everywhere around them.

"Ahh, you finally made it? Good, good. You are that much closer to meeting me in person." The voice paused for a moment, long enough for Judy to speak up.

"Nick, do you hear that? His voice is robotic, like he's using a voice changer!" grumbled Judy just in time for the deep, metallic voice to continue.

"Let's cut to the chase: I spent so long planning and preparing for our confrontation that I can't wait any longer. The final clue is in this building! I await you at the final place, so feel free to bring the police once you are able to decipher the last clue!" boomed the voice once again before cutting out suddenly

"What?! After all this, he is going to simply give up?!" screamed Nick in anger.

"Who does he think he is! This isn't some sort of fan meet-up. That sick bastard!" Judy agreed in such an angry tone that even Nick reeled back from the bunny.

Neither of them could comprehend what was happening at all. The killer had been so careful, so deliberate in everything he did. The notes, the clues, the bodies - everything had meaning in his eyes, that they were sure of. It was obvious some of the place they had been to were altered hours just before they arrived. Something was not right here, not right at all.

"Call them in, Judy. Call them in while we head downstairs!" growled Nick as he stomped over to a door Judy failed to notice. Judy quickly pulled out her radio and relayed everything as fast as possible just as Nick tore open the door and stomped his way down the stairs. She ran after Nick and just as she reached the door, the smell hit her so hard she was forced to throw up everything in her stomach.

"Oh god! Clawhauser, send some vans; the smell alone indicates multiple bodies!" cried Judy after heaving a for nearly a minute.

"Where are you?" asked Clawhauser through the radio.

Nick didn't wait for Judy as he started heading down the staircase. The smell was vicious, foul, and repugnant, but his anger at being toyed with made his stomach turn to stone. He pulled his flashlight out and proceeded down to the bottom of the stairway. He could hear Judy at the top of the stairs, releasing the contents of her stomach and calling for help. He could hear the buzzing of flies and the dripping of some kind of liquid, too. Before he shone the light over the source of the sounds, he knew what it was. He knew it was going to be bad. But he didn't realize the scale of it.

With his night vision and the light from the "torch" in his paw, he saw it all clear as day. There were four bodies hanging from meat hooks. A gazelle, a ram, a leopard, and finally, a zebra. Their fur was laid out in front of them like a few cheap was obvious to Nick that the bodies were freshly skinned. Nick stared in horror as he took in the sight of skinned mammals. He quickly looked away only to avert his gaze onto one last body, tucked into a corner. This one had no fur next to it, but Nick knew why. They had found the fur last night in the museum.

Nick avoided looking at the bodies as best as he could as he took a few steps towards the scene. From above, he could hear Judy coming down the staircase finally. Seconds later, he could hear her gasping at the sight. Neither could say anything at all as they did their best to not step in any puddles of blood or on the fur rugs on the floor.

"Nick, look!" Judy's voice nearly cracked as she spoke. Nick turned to Judy and saw her pointing at the wall to his left. Both Nick and Judy shone their flashlights onto a desk that had a old TV with a VCR next to it. A large painting of very angry-looking eyes hung on the wall behind the desk. Underneath the eyes were the words "play me." Wasting no time, Nick walked over, turned the TV on, and pressed play on the VCR.

Slowly, the screen lit up and showed a dark room. The camera shook quite a bit. "Finally, I got this thing to work!" The voice was once again deep and robotic. "Now that this thing is working, I have one thing to say. I TOLD YOU NOBODY FUCKING HELPS YOU! I gave specific instructions that no one helps, and you broke my rule! You broke my game and my plans! And for that, it's time one of you payed the price for it!" The voice screamed in anger as the camera shook about violently. The camera stopped moving for a moment, and the voice fell silent.

Without warning, the camera spun around and Nick could only gasp and howl with despair. Sitting in a chair was a vixen with a sack over her head. "That's right! Nicky's mommy will pay the price first, then that damn bunny's brother! But you have a chance to save one of them! Poor Nicky's mommy is in a place you know very well - a place where the insane used to live next to a beautiful waterfall. As for bunny boy, it won't be to hard to catch him. In fact, I'm probably talking to him right now by the time you see this video! Why not give him a call? I saw you guys exchange numbers. I KNOW YOU HAVE IT! So choose who lives and who dies!" And with that, the video suddenly cut off just as Nick dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around him as he swayed back and forth.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening!" Nick pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a series of numbers and put the phone to his ear. The look of fear was painfully clear to Judy as Nick suddenly dropped the phone. "The number is no longer available!" howled Nick as Judy hugged him tightly.

"Nick, it's ok! Please, calm down!" Judy helped Nick get up off the ground and did her best to carry his slack weight up the stairs and back into the main lobby of the building. Just as they sat down on the dusty ground, a group of forensics specialists entered the building. Judy pointed to the open doorway, and they nodded and quickly went to work.

Judy took the moment to pull out her own phone and dial Michael's number once again. After a couple of rings, he picked up. Judy prepared for the worse as she heard some breathing.

"Judy? Oh thank god! I was just about to call you! I'm think I'm being followed!" cried Michael, the sound of cars in the background.

"Michael, where are you?" demanded Judy as she stood up quickly.

"I'm by my apartment. I went to grab some stuff before I went into hiding, but this black van started following me nearly thirty minutes ago. I've been going to heavily populated places and buying stuff at places with cameras just in case they tried anything. I don't know how long I can keep up this charade!" wheezed Michael as Judy listened carefully.

Judy couldn't speak as she looked down at Nick. He was an emotional mess, trying to process the fact that his mother was in danger. The bunny looked back at her phone. Everything was happening so quickly that she couldn't think clearly.

"Judy, I think he saw me on the phone, he turned down an offramp. I… I think I scared him, Judy I'm scared, please help me!" cried Michael over the phone.

Judy looked back at Nick, who merely stared blankly at the far wall. He wouldn't be of any help right now. "This is bad, this is bad!" thought Judy as she was forced to make a decision that could cost someone's life

"Do I rush to Nick's mom's aid and possibly let Michael get taken and killed, or do I rush to his aid and risk her life?" Judy thought as she looked between Nick and the phone. "What do I do?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Nick and Judy are now on the final stretch of this case, but what will it cost them?
> 
> How did the killer find out? How did he know? Will everyone make it out alive?
> 
> I hope you have been enjoying the story immensely. Please have a wonderful day/night!


	12. Chapter 12

Judy stood their with the phone still in her paw as she watched Nick crying on the ground. She could hear him muttering how he failed his mother and is a failure. She could also hear Micheal calling out for her, she had to choose, and soon. But who? Who will she risk and who will she save. So much pressure rested on her shoulders, the likes she has never felt before. She held the lives of two mammals, maybe even more if she did this wrong, in her paws. The thought of letting someone die to save another was overwhelming. She couldn't make this decision, could she? The sound of mammals working underneath her feet could be heard as she stood there for what felt like an eternity.

"If I go and save Nick's mom then the killer will catch up to him during the time it will take us to save her, but if I go after Michael, the killer will…" Judy stopped in mid-thought as it just dawned on her. "I CAN SAVE THEM BOTH!" screamed Judy as she leaned over and picked Nick up off the ground.

"Nick, you're mother will live! Both will live! The killer has lost!" shouted Judy with joy as she jumped up and down.

In between sniffles was Nick able to ask for her plan. "What, really? How has he lost?"

"Nick the last place is obviously the Cliffside Asylum, where we found the missing mammals, that's a hour's drive from here! Micheal said he was near our apartment, that's nearly double the travel time, the killer can't get there before us! He doesn't know we got here hours ahead of time!" Judy tried to explain as quickly as possible, stumbling over her words a couple of times

"Nick I can go to Michael and lead him and the killer to a trap while you and some of the other officers rescue your mother! He is focused on me more than you, if anything the fact he sees me alone will urge him to follow me and Micheal and try to wait for an opportunity to get to me, but he will never have that chance as I will be in a public area. While he follows us I could lead him to an ambush! Nick it's over, he is going down!" Judy finally finished her plan to Nick just as he finally managed to gather himself.

"Judy that's brilliant, I'll get a ride from one of the officers nearby. The killer will have to fight with traffic while we can use the sirens to get by, we will get there first! Judy go get Micheal, I'll call for a ride right now and explain everything!" Nick pushed Judy towards the door as he pulled his radio close to his muzzle, "Oh Judy, please be careful!" Nick called out just as Judy ran out the door with her phone to her ear, telling Michael to keep driving.

Nick sat impatiently for nearly five minutes alone on the stairway out front before Officer McHorn and Officer Pennington pulled up. Nick didn't hesitate as he quickly ran up to the massive cruiser and jumped in the backseat, before he could even buckle up the vehicle was screaming down the street with sirens and lights blaring. From his conversation with the precinct just minutes ago, he knew that nearly half a dozen other cruiser were already heading towards Cliffside. He wasn't sure why so many but it was better to be safe than sorry. Judy on the other paw was on her way to Michael and the chief had just as many cruisers on standby, waiting for Judy's instructions and signal to go in on her position.

He sat quietly as he put on a rather large bulletproof vest and loaded his gun. He quickly realized that the vest was meant for wolves and didn't fit him all the way. He tightened it down as best he could and stared down at his paws just as he finished loading his weapon. The knot forming in his gut was growing tighter and tighter as he sat in the silence of the backseat. He prefered it this way as dark thoughts formulated in his mind. Thoughts of violence, vengeance and murder. He tossed them to the side as realized that he would risk everything if he acted on these, he couldn't lose this job or Judy, he couldn't lose her over something so trivial.

But the urge to fight was burning in his blood and it was a feeling hard to keep down. "Cliffside again, will that place always show up? Show up and cause problems?" Nick's thoughts ran wild as the sun was beaming onto his face. He couldn't help but look up at the sky and watch as the clouds flew by and the sun shine brightly. With a quick glance at his phone he could see Judy and him hugging, with their faces pressed against each other. Judy was positively ecstatic in the picture while Nick had a look of annoyance. The clock on his phone told him it was closing in on ten in the morning. "Has is been an hour already?" asked Nick mentally as he looked out the window.

Sure enough he could see the sign of Cliffside and a few cruisers already parked in front of the building. Nick could see well over seven officers standing in full gear and weapons, waiting for the last of their backup to arrive. Nick's face went stone cold as the final minute of the drive consisted of them driving up to the rest of the cars, getting out and gathering with the mammal in charge, Captain Wolford.

"Ok listen up, we are going to sweep the building in groups of two, everyone has a partner already except you, Wilde. You will be with Officers McHorn and Pennington. That means there will be seven teams in all, and last time I checked this place had nine floors and a basement. Team's one and two will have floors one through four, teams three through five will have floors five through seven. My team will handle floors eight and nine, Wilde's team will have the basement. Now let's get this done, go, go, go!" Captain Wolford barked out orders quickly and before anyone could say anything they were storming the building with everyone heading towards the stairs. Only Wilde's team and team one didn't follow them up. Nick began to go down the stairs along with McHorn and Pennington while the other team was staying on the floor to search it before moving up.

All three of them has their guns and flashlights out as hey reached the bottom of the staircase and were in utter darkness. They were quiet as they moved down the hall, each taking turns to cover each other as one of them opened a door and entered it swiftly. Every time they entered a room it had a mannequin standing and pointing at them with a large "no" on it. It was starting to get under Nick's skin as he grew more and more worried over the whole situation. The only thing that kept Nick calm and collected in such an extreme situation was Judy told him earlier.

He will stay strong, for his mother and for Judy. He will find his mother and save her while Judy saved Michael. Nick stood by a door and was prepare for McHorn to kick it open like they have been doing since they started it on this floor. "Please let this be the one! Please!" Nick was screaming internally as McHorn charged the door. With one deep inhale and exhale the door was no more as he barreled through it. Nick and Francine were right behind him and followed without hesitation. The room was dark save a single light in the center of the room. Nick gaze fell upon the still form sitting in a chair, tied up and in the center of the light. It was a vixen that much he could tell. The bag was still over her face.

"Mom? Mom I'm here to save you!" Nick cried out, he didn't rush over right away as they had to make sure the room was clear. A quick look told them they were indeed all alone.

"Mom, it's going to be ok, Nicky is here, your little Nicky!" Nick was having trouble keeping his voice from cracking as he reach up to pull the bag off. Nick gripped the burlap bag firmly and slowly pulled it off of his mother's head.

 

Judy could hear Nick call out for her to be careful just as she ran out the door. With a quick wave she ran down the stairs in two grand leaps. Her heart was beating intensely as she ran around her car. She had no time to waste as they found out how to capture him. "He is not getting away!" growled Judy as she buckled up and started to blare her sirens and lights. Without hesitation she sped down the road, causing the vehicle to burn rubber and leave a short black trail behind her.

Just as she turned the corner and nearly turning the car over onto it's side did she look at her speedometer. With a quick glance she saw that it said ninety miles per hour, she didn't care, she needed to get to Micheal as quickly as possible so they can lure the killer to a trap. "Crap Micheal, you still there?" Judy placed the phone to her face as she had just remember he was still in the call with her.

"Yes, I am! Judy, he is still following me!" Micheal was breathing hard and in quick succession.

"Micheal calm down! Don't let him know that you know he is following you. Listen keep driving around, once I get close to you we can trick him into following us to a good place. Make sure you stay near places with cameras but don't be obvious about it! I'll call you in a few minutes," Judy ordered as she turned another corner sharply, determined to get there so she can spring the soon-to-formulated-plan on the killer.

"Alright, I hope to see you in a bit!" Micheal called out before hanging the phone up.

Judy tried her best to come up with ideas on the best places to spring a trap. "Would be helpful if I know what the killer looked like," grumbled Judy to herself as she drove onto the highway. She spent nearly ten minutes on the highway and was just turning onto a offramp when an idea came popped up.

"At least he will be safe in the camera's line of sight… Cameras!" Judy scream so suddenly and loudly she scared herself, swerving the car into a different lane. Luckily no one was next to her as she regain control of her cruiser. Without a second thought, she picked up her radio and began to speak.

"This is Officer Hopps requesting the cameras of the natural history museum be searched as soon as possible, within the hour if able! The killer may have been spotted and I need to know who to keep a lookout for, over!" demanded Judy as she passed a couple of vehicles pulling off to the side of the highway so she could pass.

"This is Officer Fangmeyer, I am currently at the site taking in a full report of the break in, I will have the killer's picture sent as soon as possible, over!" replied Fangmeyer so quickly Judy barely had the chance to put the radio back down.

"Thank god, this case is as good as closed!" Judy cheered as she passed the donut shop that was a favorite for the ZPD, "Oh I'm almost there already? Better call Micheal again," thought Judy as she reached for her phone again. Just as she flipped it open did she get a call from Michael, she didn't even think about and answered it right away.

"Michael I was just about to call you," Judy said first as she turned the car sharply down a road.

"Judy, I know where we can trap the killer!" shouted Micheal through the phone.

"What? Where?" asked Judy, she had no ideas and was open to the idea of suggestions.

"Judy, our apartment parking lot, there is only one way into that area! And with all the neighbors at work, no one will get hurt, we could set up a perimeter and surround him. Finally! I can have some closure!" proudly stated Micheal from the other side of the phone.

"That's brilliant! I'll call the station right now, I'm about fifteen minutes from the place, what about you?" asked Judy, her heart was racing as the tension was building up substantially with every second that passed by.

"I'm a little over ten minutes, if you hurry we could get there at the same time and bait him into following us! This bastard is going down!" Micheal could be heard sobbing on the other side.

"It's ok Michael, we'll see this through to the end, together!" assured Judy as she tried her best to calm him down.

"Do you really mean it?" the question had caught Judy off guard.

"After all we've been through already, how could you not think I won't be there for you when you need it most?" Judy answered him with her own question, but it calmed him down by a fair amount as he took a deep breath.

"Thank you Judy, I'll see you at home!" Micheal ended the call but Judy could imagine the grateful smile on his face.

"We got this Micheal, we got this!" Judy said to herself as she passed a few more cars and trucks. She sped up and quickly pulled on her radio and talked into it.

"This is Officer Hopps, I have a location for which we can capture the killer in. The location is the corner of Paw blvd and King's road, just off of highway 345, wait ten minutes and then set up a road block there. The road I will be leading him down is a one way street. Bring a chopper in case he tries to run through the houses!" Judy quickly explained and was waiting for a response when she turned down a side street, only just a little longer and the trap will be sprung for the killer.

"I hope Nick is doing alright, they should be searching the place by now. I hope she will be ok," thought Judy as leaned back into her chair and pressed down on the gas peddle a little more. She was determined to put an end to all this, the killings, the pain, the misery, all of it will end today. She sat quietly for a bit as she focused on what she would have to do. After a few minutes she turned sharply down the road towards her house. The force of which she turned caused her to be slightly dizzy and sick as she tried to regain focus on the road. It only took a second or two before she was on the right track again.

"Woah, not doing that again," chuckled Judy as she could see a green truck just down the road. She watched it carefully as it turned into the designated area. "Micheal?" Judy questioned the truck. She didn't know what he drove, but the fact that it arrived just before her gave her the strong impression that it was him. Seeing him just ahead of her and safe calmed her nerves quite a bit as she turned her sirens and lights off as she didn't want to deter the killer when he arrives.

She began to slow down quickly as she pulled into the parking lot after another minute of driving down the long road. Once she turned into the parking lot she heard a buzz from her phone and saw Michael getting out of the green truck. Judy pulled up to a spot at the far end of the parking lot so she could keep the vehicle out of sight from the road. She quickly unbuckled and got out of the car and ran over to Michael and gave him a great, big hug.

"Micheal you're ok! Thank goodness you're safe!" Judy squeezed Micheal tightly as did he to her.

"Thank you for coming to my aid! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" at this point Micheal was crying with large tears running down his face as he let go and stared her in the eyes.

"Anything for a friend! I'm here to help you!" Judy was nearly in tears too. She gave a deep sigh before she spoke back up, "Listen we need to lure him out, I hate to do this but I need you to come with me," implored Judy as she took his hand and went towards the staircase that lead to their apartments.

"When you hear the van or see it I need you to walk towards the dumpsters over there," Judy pointed to a the spot where the dumpsters were. They were in the center of the parking lot and was in an open space, "I will be hiding over there, the killer will try to go after you and that's when you give me a wink. Once I see the signal I will bring down the wrath of the ZPD onto him as I call for backup and confront him, can you do this for me?" asked Judy as she hand her paws on his shoulder and gave him an icy stare.

With a nod he agreed, seeing this Judy felt a heavy weight grow on her shoulders. If she does this poorly both Micheal and her could die, but if this succeeds then many victims will be avenged, including Gerome. Judy turned and was starting to walk over to the dumpsters when her phone buzzed once again. With a quick glance and twitch of her ears she determined she had time to glance at who was messaging her. She pulled her phone out and saw one from the ZPD forensics office, she opened it up and read it quickly.

"Officer Hopps, this is specialist Whitepaw, I found a connection between all but one of the victims from the first crime scene. They had all been failed ZPD cadets charged with attempted homicide on a fellow cadet. I'll have the name in a few minutes." Judy read the message in her mind and was disgusted at the thought of fellow ZPD members who could do such a thing.

She looked past that and saw the second message from Nick, her eyes widen in horror at what she read. As she read them two more messages popped up, one from Officer Fangmeyer and the ZPD again, "Judy, she wasn't my mother and the victim is dead!" Judy covered her mouth as she took in the news.

She opened the one from the ZPD and read it in her head once again, "The victim was nearly skinned alive in the report, he survived but wasn't allowed to continue with the academy," Judy felt a stone drop in her stomach as she finished the message. Judy had only one message left and opened it up to see a video from a camera hanging over the pit where she and Nick had tricked Bellwether. Judy watched with extreme focus as a shadow was coming into view. Closer and closer the person of interest moved towards the camera's view until finally...

"Oh god no!" Judy thought, with shaking hands she dropped her phone and reached for her tranq gun. With voice cracking and fear covering her body like a blanket she turned around, "M... MI... MICHEAL YELLOWTAIL, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Duh Duh Duhhhhhhh
> 
> I bet a lot of you weren't expecting that! I have been waiting for this scene for what seems like ages!
> 
> Micheal is the real killer, he has tricked everyone and is now alone with Judy Hopps, can she make it out alive?
> 
> If you do review I have one request, PLEASE DON'T REVEAL THE KILLER. :'( I would be very sad if that was the first thing someone saw as a review if they wanted
> 
> to read the story and decided to look at the reviews first.
> 
> Please have a wonderful day or night! :)


	13. Confessions of a Killer

Nick reached towards the sack that covered his mother's head, his paws shaking as he gripped it and pulled it off. With conflicting emotions, he stared at the vixen who sat before him. It was not his mother. In fact, he didn't even know who it was at all. It took no more than a second, but it felt like years had passed at Nick took it all in: the unknown vixen and her cut throat, and the realization that something bad was about to happen. He slowly turned to the others and slumped to his knees in relief and terror. It was the most crippling feeling Nick had ever endured as McHorn rushed over to help him stand.

"I need to send Judy a text. She needs to know that my mother isn't here," Nick said in a disturbingly low voice. Pulling out his phone, he typed the words as quickly as possible; hopefully this news will help her figure out what was happening. His mind was racing at a million miles a second, slowing to a stop every few seconds before starting back up again. He couldn't think about this day, this case - anything! It was too much for him to handle. Without warning, he dropped his phone and began to cry as all the emotions that had built up over the past day and a half finally got to him. He never showed anyone anything since he joined the force, but this was different; this was very different. He couldn't contain himself as Pennington called to the others, explaining the situation.

Within moments, they were ordered to get Nick out of the building and help him calm down. McHorn simply picked him up off his feet - along with his phone - and carried him out of the room. Officer Pennington stayed behind to make sure they didn't miss anything. Nick was quiet the whole time he was carried to the front of the building. McHorn would occasionally ask if he was alright, and Nick would simply nod his head as he tried to slow down and think calmly. Once outside, Nick's eyes were assaulted by the bright light and was forced to raise his paw to shield his eyes.

McHorn carefully sat him next to their cruiser before standing and waiting for everyone to complete their rounds on their designated floors. Nick sat against the tire with his head in his paws as he tried to wrap his head around everything that had transpired recently. He spent nearly ten minutes thinking everything over again and again. The killings, the scenes, the paintings, that video threatening Michael…

"Oh god no! McHorn, call the others near Judy and tell them to converge on her position now!" Nick shouted at the top of his lungs. McHorn looked at him with surprise before he reached for his radio and relayed the message.

Nick listened to the conversation carefully. With a terrible sinking feeling, he heard the words he never ever wanted to hear as Judy's partner: "We lost contact with Officer Hopps nearly fifteen minutes ago," said a voice over the radio.

"McHorn take me to her last known location, NOW!" screamed Nick as he opened the door to the cruiser and quickly buckled in.

McHorn knew it was against regulations. He knew he would most likely get in trouble. But, he also knew how much Judy meant to the fox. With a quick nod, he got in the driver's seat and slammed his foot on the gas peddle, heading towards Nick and Judy's apartment complex.

 

Judy stared at the stone-cold look in Michael's face as the rabbit returned the gaze. "Didn't you hear me? You are under arrest. Anything you say can and…" Judy didn't finish her sentence when Michael began to burst out with maniacal laughter. The sound alone sent a chill down Judy's spine, and she took a step back.

"Took you guys long enough to figure out it was me! Oh, Judy please don't give me that look. I know you're scared, and you must certainly be confused about everything. Don't worry. I'll tell you everything in just one moment," Michael began as he took a step towards Judy with his paws raised.

"Not another step or I will shoot!" Judy bellowed as she took another step back from the person she thought was a friend.

"There's no need for violence; I plan on surrendering peacefully. You two deserve that after finding out everything in a much quicker time than I expected!" Michael smiled viciously as he pointed at her belt, causing Judy to flinch a bit.

"What do you want?" Judy asked as she took a quick glance at her belt before returning her gaze to Michael. She realized she had just made a fatal mistake.

"What? You expect me to attack you? No, no, no, no. I was merely going to suggest you pull out that carrot pen of yours, I know you always have it on you. Now, if you would be so kind as to start recording, I want the world to know why I did it all, in my own words and not fabricated by the media that is always censoring the people!" Michael's voice raised slightly, but he put his paw back up in the air as he stood there.

Judy kept her eyes on him as she reached for the carrot pen in her back pocket. Once she firmly took a hold of it, she pulled the little device out to show him she had it. With a quick press of the button, it was now recording. "There, it's recording. Now spill it. Why did you kill so many innocent mammals? Why were you so obsessed with me and Nick? Why? Why did you kill your own brother?!" Judy could barely contain herself as she angrily thrust the pen out towards Michael.

"Oh, no, the first of my victims were not innocent They were all heartless bastards and racists!" Michael lowered his paws slowly as he started his story, "My story's long, and I don't want to keep my paws up for that long. Now, back on topic! Three years ago, I went to the police academy after spending an entire year training for it. A full year of preparing to be more than a carrot farmer, all because of you. You inspired me in a way I couldn't explain I wanted to help the world as well, but I didn't know how though until I heard about Judy Hopps, Zootopia's First Rabbit Cop!" Michael slowly waved his paws in the air as though showing a head line.

"I never heard of a rabbit cop until then, but that was when I knew what I wanted to do! I would follow in the footsteps of Judy Hopps and make the world a better place," he explained in a mocking tone. "So, after a year of training; after being disowned by my parents for following a moron like you; after being insulted and made fun of, I did it. I was in the academy!" Michael spoke with pride as he told his story. He smiled and looked up at the sky, reminiscing the memories of years before.

"But it didn't stop there; no, it never does! Once I joined, some of the other predators began to pick on me when the instructors weren't around. They told me to go back to the farms so we rabbits wouldn't fuck up the world any more than it already was. They hated me because of what happened the year before: the press conference you spoke at. Predators were still being attacked and insulted, even after you showed the city that a damned sheep was behind it all! But the prejudiced bastards still hated them because of the thought you instilled into their minds. And in turn, they took their rage out on me!" slowly, Michael's voice began to raise as he continued his story.

"I didn't know," Judy muttered loud enough for Michael to hear.

"Of course you didn't; no one did. Month after month, I slowly rose to be the best in the class, just like you -my hero, my muse! Finally, one night, when we had the next day off, I was going for a nightly jog when I ran into those racist bastards. They had been waiting for me on my normal path, drunk and angry. They began to insult me, push me around. They were upset that I was top of the class at the moment; they were jealous, drunk, angry, and bigots!" Michael slowly slumped down into a sitting position as Judy kept her gun and pen aimed at him.

"Soon, the pushing turned to punching, kicking, and spitting. I wasn't strong enough to fight back, not against them all. Finally, one of them suggested that they show me what a true predator looked like. He then unsheathed his claws and swiped at me; I couldn't dodge it in time." Michael stood back up and lifted his shirt. Judy's eyes widened in shock and disgust as she saw the pink, raw-looking skin covering most of his chest. But it didn't stop there; he turned around to show her his back. It was the same story: fur missing over most of his back, revealing the scarred skin beneath.

Turning back to Judy and lowering his shirt Michael continued with his tragic tale. "The claw marks weren't deep at first. Then one of them dug his claws in too deep and pulled a large chunk out a large chunk of my fur Then, they began to do it as a group. I was bleeding horribly, crying at the top of my lungs, begging for them to stop. They didn't listen as they tore into me like… like… savage animals. I was lucky, because after only a minute of the shredding, the instructor come across to us. She got them off of me and managed to call for help. I woke up in the hospital three weeks later with my family all around me. There was even a representative from the Academy there," Michael lowered his voice as he spoke the next few words. "I wasn't even awake for a minute before he told me my injuries would prevent me from ever becoming an officer of the law. I was devastated!"

"I never heard of this, not even once!" Judy admitted as she tried to recall the whole incident.

"Of course not! Chief Bogo hid it from the news. The whole academy assumed I got hurt and couldn't continue in the Academy. NOT A SINGLE ONE CAME TO SEE ME! They all felt the same way about me: like those bastards who damn near killed me!" Michael began to shout at Judy as tears began to fall from his cheeks.

Judy didn't get to say anything as he continued, cutting her off. "I laid in that bed for weeks with only my thoughts as companions. I desperately tried to figure out why they would do such horrible things to me. But it returned to what they chanted over and over when they peeled the fur from my skin: it was your fault. You made it so much harder for predators to get jobs. They now get attacked and scorned by other mammals because 'of the urges to maim and kill in their DNA!" Michael was still crying as he began to sputter his words a bit now.

"Wait, are you saying that I…" Judy was cut off by Michael as his voice boomed throughout the parking lot.

"YES, JUDY! YES, I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MY HERO WAS THE CAUSE OF ZOOTOPIA'S TROUBLE AND MY SHATTERED DREAMS! After years of living with the marks of your sins, I snapped one day. I came across one of my attackers in the middle of the night. He was drunk, so very drunk, and such an easy target. With a single swipe of my knife, I ended his life. It didn't stop there, oh no, it didn't. I relished the thought of skinning him just as he had done to me!" Michael began to giggle and smile as he started to describe in full, horrific detail how he removed his fur. Judy gagged a couple times as the deranged rabbit mentioned the rustic smell of blood and the feel of peeling the mammal's fur away with his own two paws.

"It was wonderful. I was in love with the euphoria of revenge and skinning him. I needed more! So, I sought them out, the rest of them. One by one, they fell to my knife. I was even lucky enough to meet up with my old middle school bully. That was an amazing rush! I listened to him whimper and beg for mercy as I drove my knife into his fucking skull!" Michael reached behind his back and pulled out a large knife. Judy's eyes widened as she gripped the gun tighter. Her finger began to pull on the trigger when he did something she never expected: he dropped the knife onto the ground and slumped down to his knees.

"When it was over - after I had finished my quest - I felt empty and lonely. Then, one night, it dawned on me: I wanted to do more killing. I wanted to skin more mammals, and I needed to show my work to the world. So, I began to plan out our meeting. I wanted to leave my mark on the world and meet the person who saved and ruined my life. I needed to meet you! The clues, the notes, the paintings were all for you. To me, you were everything. To me you WERE the world!" Judy was starting to become confused by what Michael was saying.

"Michael, are you saying that you loved me?" Judy was finally able to ask without being interrupted by him. With a heavy sigh, Michael nodded.

"But then, the greatest thing happened: you moved into the apartment next to my brother and me. I thought my salvation had arrived, and I could confess my love to you that day. I was just about to, but then I found out that you and that damned fox were in a relationship. My world was destroyed again in just moments. My rage was boiling up during that entire party, but I kept my cool. I held it together." Michael pointed his finger at her accusingly as he took a deep breath, "But then I heard it. I couldn't believe it, but if I listened closely, I could hear you and that fox mating!" Michael's face contorted into one of pure hatred as he spat that last word.

"Michael, I need you to calm down!" Judy ordered as she took a step back to keep her distance from the raging rabbit before her.

"I was so blinded with rage that the next thing I knew, I was standing over the body of my own brother! I was destroyed! I had killed my own brother; murdered him in cold blood. The worst part was that I never got the see the look in his eyes as I skinned him. It was already done when I awoke from my blood-soaked rage. That's when I made the decision to start the whole chase. There, I gave my confession. I got to meet you. I'm done, I'm done! I did what I wanted to do, take me away!" Judy was astonished as Michael kicked the knife away and held his paws out to her.

Judy stood there for nearly a full minute in silence. Michael did the same. Judy finally came to her senses and turned the pen off; she had gathered all that she needed. She then pulled out a pair of paw cuffs and walked to Michael. "Thank you for surrendering like this, Michael. This'll be easier for all of us this way," Judy thanked him as she reached out to place the cuffs onto his paws. She gave a deep sigh as the metal made contact with his fur.

Smack!

Judy had no time to react other than to pull the trigger of her weapon and fire the tranq she had loaded. It went wide as Michael ducked and was suddenly face to face with her. Michael had his left arm around her as his other was pressed against her stomach. With him this close, it was no wonder how she missed him. Judy was aware of the dull pain in her gut, but she couldn't break her gaze from Michael. "Is this how I'm going to die? All because I was foolish enough to fall for his ploy?" Judy thought to herself as Michael took a step back with the most terrifying grin she had ever seen on his face. She expected to see a knife in her stomach, blood pooling from her wound. She slowly managed to look down to see the scariest thing she could have imagined. And it wasn't a knife.

"Is that… a tranq dart?" Judy's eyes widened as she could see the dart jammed into her stomach.

"Yes it is. I got it from your cruiser back in Tundra Town. I also dropped my dead brother's phone in there so I could use the GPS to keep track of you two!" Michael gloated as he watched Judy stumble back and forth for a second before she fell to her side.

Judy watched in horror as he grabbed his knife and walked over to her. Her vision began to blur and her hearing was lessening, but she could see and hear him pick up her phone and call someone on it. "Hello? Nick? Good, now listen carefully…" Judy could no longer hear or see anything as the drug finally won and put her in a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Nick has found out the danger Judy is in and rushes to help. Michael confesses everything to Judy and with a twist he has turned the tables on her by stabbing her with one of her own tranq darts. I have been having a blast writing these last few chapters and the next few I believe are going to be just as fun! I hope you have all been enjoying this story as much as me. And a huge shout out to Blenderguy15 for editing this chapter for me!
> 
> Please have a wonderful day/night!


	14. Confrontations

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

"Nick?"

"That's me,"

"Good, now listen carefully. I have your precious Judy, so you will listen to everything I have to say or she dies, right here, right now!" said a voice with extreme malice.

"Wait, who is this? I know your voice. MICHAEL?" Nick cried out as he put it all together finally. "You're the killer?"

"Took you long enough to figure it out. Judy only found out moments ago. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps." Nick could hear a slight chuckle from the other side of the phone.

"I swear to fucking god if you do anything to her, I. WILL. MAKE. YOU. SUFFER!" Nick let out a growl that was more animalistic than he had ever let out before.

"Well then, I hope you and the ZPD can follow my directions correctly. If not, then all you'll see of her again is a mangled corpse and a bag of fur!" Nick had no time to respond when the phone call ended without any warning.

"You bastard! You coward! How dare you hang up on me!" Nick screamed. McHorn eyed the fox with caution as he had never seen Nick so pissed before. The rhino was afraid to invoke his wrath.

Michael dropped the phone the moment he hung up and looked over at the now-unconscious rabbit laying in the middle of the parking lot. With a smile, he walked over and knelt down next to her. He reached out to her face, mere inches from her nose before suddenly grabbing the radio on her shoulder. He pressed down on the button, his knowledge of this equipment never having left him from his days at the Academy. In fact, those skills had helped him more than once during his killing spree as he avoided just about every camera except for one location. But that was on purpose.

"Hello, ZPD. My name is Michael Yellowtail, the Butcher of Zootopia, and I have Officer Judy Hopps as my hostage. I also have three simple requests. Should any of these not be met, Officer Hopps dies. My first request is that no one comes near my location save one mammal: Officer Nicholas Wilde. My second request is that Officer Wilde comes alone. I understand that I am in possession of the only police cruisers that he is capable of driving, so he may be dropped off by another officer. My third and final request is simple: no one interferes or I cut her throat the moment I suspect anyone trying anything. These are my demands. I'll be waiting in my apartment. Goodbye for now." Michael gave no one any time to respond as he stated his demands. The moment he finished and took his thumb off of the button, the radio went wild as everyone started talking at once.

He had done well, completely throwing the ZPD into disarray with his sudden demands and hostage. He wrapped his arm under Judy and lifted her quite easily, looking around one last time before he began to carry her limp body towards his apartment. Michael climbed the stairs with a light skip in his step. He was excited. All this time planning and working was coming to an end. He was ready, accepting, and unsure of how it would all end. What he was sure of, though, was that his crimes would not go unpunished. He would either die in the coming confrontation with that damn fox or rot in prison.

Michael was a monster; prey turned predator. The city saw predators as animals with claws and large teeth, but today - today they would see a different kind of predator. They would learn the dark truth of all the pain he had held inside for so long. That carrot pen of Judy's would make sure of that.

Reaching out, he opened his door and walked in, careful not to hurt the rabbit he was still carrying on his shoulder. The smell of Ocean Breeze-scented air fresheners was almost overpowering as he entered with Judy. "Good thing I sprayed this stuff in my rage, otherwise that fox would have smelled everything the other night," thought Michael as he took the unconscious bunny straight to the couch that sat opposite to him and set her on the cushions. He sat down next to her and stared at the door. "It will be at least an hour before he shows up, so what to do till then? What to do, indeed?" asked Michael to no one but himself. He looked around and noticed the blood smeared across the floor, and the pool of dried blood in the center of the living room.

"I guess I should get everything set up for the guest of honor. But first things first, let's get down to business!"

...

Nick couldn't believe what he had heard come across the radio just now, and neither could McHorn. Michael was threatening Judy, his partner, his lover, his everything. He was shaking with rage and could barely see straight as his paws turned to fists.

"Wilde, calm down. As long as we follow these requests, she will be fine. But, we need to hurry up. I'll call the chief and tell him we are already on our way there. Good thing this car is much faster than yours, so we will get there soon," McHorn explained in his best attempt to calm Nick down.

Nick watched with mixed emotions as McHorn picked up his radio and quickly informed Bogo that they would be there in an hour, staying true to his word.

...

Bogo stomped down the stairs as he and his best officers followed him. This was serious; one of his officers was now a hostage, and the killer had managed to deceive everyone, setting them all up for a showdown he had complete control over. Bogo was pissed and embarrassed with the whole situation his precinct was in now. He ordered Clawhauser to take over while he was out; this hostage situation needed his full attention and presence. He was not about to sit back and watch a psycho kill one - maybe even two or more of his officers if he had anything to say about it.

Bogo and the other captains ran to their cruisers and pulled out of the parking lot quickly. Speeding down the road, they set their sights on Nick and Judy's apartment complex.

...

Nick sat quietly as he faced forward, taking deep breaths to calm himself and looking at everything with a clear mind. It was hard - so very hard. He was mortified, nervous, furious, numb; he felt everything boiling and churning within him. It was rough, and he wasn't sure how long he would last now. It had been nearly forty minutes since Michael had made his announcement and was most likely listening to everything. Even if they did change the setting, he could easily find it with Judy's radio. Everyone was forced to use cellphones and other means to communicate with each other. Nick was in fact being called by the Chief right then as his phone began to ring.

He brought the phone to his ear, "Yes sir?"

"Wilde, we are gonna have to send you in alone. His apartment is in the center of the building and next to your own home, so there are no windows that will allow us to get into position to take him out. Officer McHorn will drop you off, so you will have to apprehend Michael quickly and without any issues!" Nick listened carefully as Chief Bogo barked orders to him. Nick told McHorn what Bogo had said and, with a silent nod, he agreed with the Chief's plan. They would arrive at the apartment complex in just a few short minutes and talk with Bogo just before Nick entered the building.

Nick gripped his seat so tightly that his claws dug themselves into the leather, starting to tear the seat apart. "Calm down Wilde, I like this cruiser and don't look forward to using one I'm not used to just because you're pretending that the chair is Michael," McHorn said as he attempted to make the fox laugh so he wouldn't be so tense. It was clear that he might have been successful as Nick let go of the seat. Before McHorn could say anything else, Nick punched the dashboard in front of him, hard.

Nick regretted that almost instantly as pain shot up and down his arm. "Ughhh, that hurt," mumbled Nick as they quietly drove the rest of the way.

...

Michael stood in the center of the living room with a wide smile on his face. The room was no longer cluttered, and nothing stood in the way between him and his target. Still in her uniform, Judy sat in a wooden chair just before the hallway leading to the other rooms of the apartment. Her paws were tied behind her, and her legs were tied to the feet of the chair. The demented bunny gazed upon her unconscious form and simply smiled. "I should probably put my shirt back on now that we are done with everything. Well, I did all the hard work," Michael spoke to her even though he knew she was still out cold from the drugs in the dart he used to kidnap her.

He quickly walked into the next room and grabbed a clean shirt and pants, changing as fast as he could. He didn't want them showing up while he was not decent. He longed for everything to be perfect and so far, it had been. Today had been amazing, and he intended for the end to start his way. Just as he had put on his pants, Michael could hear someone heading up towards his apartment. He quickly grabbed his large, five-inch knife and went right for Judy. He stood right behind her and placed the sharp blade against her neck and waited for the identity of the "visitor".

...

Nick stood in front of Chief Bogo with a fire in his eyes and heart; he was ready. Today, Michael's madness would end. Nick had been given a brief rundown of the whole situation, so he already had a good idea. But, it needed to be clear to every single officer at the scene that no one was to interfere. Nick would be wearing a wire, just in case he got into a scuffle with the killer so he wouldn't need to radio for backup. They would be waiting to charge in and end it all if it came down to it.

Nick saluted Bogo before turning around and walking back to get into Officer McHorn's cruiser. As was agreed, he would be allowed to be dropped of in front of the complex, and since Michael was a rabbit in an empty building complex, he could easily hear everything outside. Nick sat, quietly loading his small sidearm. There was no need for darts as he had been granted permission to use deadly force if he needed to. Nick was scared not for himself, but for Judy. She had been the demented bunny's hostage for nearly an hour and fifteen minutes. She could be dead for all he knew; they had no proof she that was still alive.

These dark thoughts haunted him, but suddenly stopped when he pressed the final bullet into the magazine with his thumb. With a quick motion, he smoothly shoved the magazine into the handle of his pistol. With a click, it locked into place. He pulled back on the slider and with another click, the bullet was loaded into the chamber. Sighing, Nick placed the gun in his holster and stared at his paws in disbelief. "Am I really going to kill someone today? Will I become a murderer just to save the one I love? Will she look at me differently because of my actions?" Nick's thoughts were a mess as he tried to prepare himself for the coming confrontation with Michael.

Nick was pulled from his dark, mountainous thoughts when McHorn tapped him on the shoulder. "Wilde, it's time," McHorn spoke with a quiet and deep voice, one that gave Nick the strength to open his door and step out. He quickly closed the door and began to walk toward his home? His grave? His lover? His killer? He didn't know what he was expecting, but he moved forward with lead-like legs. Step after step pulled him forward to that dreaded meeting. He reached the stairs and found he didn't have the strength to lift his feet high enough to climb.

Try as much as he might, he just couldn't get his foot to rise high enough. It was only when he imagined Judy smiling as he saved her did he find his second wind and took nearly three steps in one go. He climbed the stairs at an alarming rate and was swiftly heading towards Michael's door. Nick didn't realize how fast time went by until he was standing face to face with the final barrier between him, Michael, and Judy.

Nick made a quick knock on the door and immediately heard a response. "Nick is that you? If not, Judy dies right now!" called Michael from the other side of the door.

"Yes Michael, it's me: Nick Wilde! I'm alone just like you requested. I'm coming in!" answered Nick as he placed his paw on the doorknob and turned it slowly. With a deafening creak in the otherwise quiet hallway, the door opened. Nick was hit with the sickening smell of sweat and air freshener. The latter was nearly overwhelming as he pushed the door open even further. Something lingered deep under the smell of dried blood, sweat, and air freshener that he couldn't quite place.

The door was completely open. With it out of the way, Nick stared in shock at the sight before him. Michael stood behind Judy, who was tied to a chair, unconscious and unmoving. What scared the fox the most was the blade pressed against her neck as Michael held her head up by her ears.

"Welcome, Nick Wilde. I do hope you are prepared for this lil' chat of ours. Otherwise, there's just no point in talking to you. Now, unless you want me to start Judy's bloodbath early, I suggest you close and lock the door behind you," Michael smiled and chuckled as he spoke with an unnerving voice.

Nick did as he was told, closing the door. He made sure to lock it in such a way that Michael could see. Once that was done, Michael lowered his knife from Judy's neck, but still held it close by. Judy was no longer in immediate danger from its sharp edge, much to Nick's relief.

"Why?" Nick asked, shattering the silence that had fallen over them.

"You want to know why? Well here you go!" Michael pulled the carrot pen from Judy's belt and tossed it to Nick. The fox was quick to catch it. Staring down at the little device in his paw, he knew there was something on this that the bunny wanted to share with him. Nick looked up at Michael once more before he clicked the play button on the side. Suddenly the room was filled with Michael's and Judy's voices. Nick listened to the whole thing as Michael stared him down like he was gonna try something soon.

Nick was conflicted. Michael's story had hit him hard; he had been unaware that Judy's actions would have caused something like this to happen. But the fact that Michael had still done all of this was insane. Nick stood in silence as the recording ended, the fox unable to form words.

"What's wrong? Rabbit caught your tongue?" taunted Michael as he held the blade menacingly. Nick snarled at the demented bunny and was about to say something when Judy suddenly shifted in her seat.

"Judy? It's going to be alright! I'm here for you!" shouted Nick as he took a step forward.

"Back! Up! Now!" ordered Michael as he pressed the blade against her neck, drawing a thin trail of blood. As Nick backed up, he took a quick glance at Judy and could see her eyes fluttering open. "Aww, look. She's finally waking up! Though I doubt she's fully functioning due to the drugs from them vicious little darts!" Michael let out a chuckle as he let go of her ears and pulled the knife away from her neck once more.

"Ni… Nichh… Nick?" sputtered Judy. It was like she had a numb mouth and was trying to pronounce an incredibly difficult word. She completely butchered his name, but the fox knew what she was saying all the same.

"Yes, Judy. It's me Nick! I'm here to save you!" Nick tried his damndest to not run forward and embrace her in a hug. Had he tried, Michael would ram that blade deep into her neck before the fox cop even made two steps.

"You know, maybe after all this is done, and you're lying in a new pool of blood, I could get to know Judy even better!" Michael's voice raised quickly till it seemed that it was about to crack.

"The hell is that supposed to mean, you bastard?!" Nick asked as his snarl grew more pronounced and hardened.

"Here, let me show you!" Michael suddenly grabbed Judy's head and turned it towards him as he leaned forward. Nick stood in horror as Michael maliciously kissed Judy on the lips. It didn't stop there as the fox could see her cheek bulge a bit as the rabbit took full advantage of her drugged state. Before Nick could say anything, Michael pulled back as a long trail of saliva hung from their mouths.

"Damn! If only she was awake earlier!" commented Michael as he turned his attention back to Nick. "Let's get this over with, you damn fox!"

Nick shook with rage as Michael twirled the knife in his paws expertly. "You kissed my partner like she was yours!"

"Oh she is mine! Nothing you can do will change that!" yelled Michael as he lunged at Nick with the knife.

Nick barely had time to react as he jumped to his left, attempting to dodge the blade being thrust at him. Nick landed in a smear of Gerome's blood and quickly pulled his gun out and aimed it at Michael. The rabbit anticipated this and ran to his right as Nick fired two bullets in quick succession. Both projectiles missed and embedded themselves into the far wall.

"Shots fired, shots fired! Go, go, go!" buzzed both Nick and Judy's radios. Judy rolled her head to the sounds around her as she tried to understand what was happening.

Nick was just about to shoot one more time when he realized why Michael ran in that particular direction. It wasn't because there was nowhere to go, it was because if Nick missed now, he would hit Judy. Just as he saw Judy behind Michael, he quickly tried to get up again, only to be tackled by the male rabbit. The wind was knocked from Nick as he was carried into the wall, both mammals landing with a crash. Nick could only raise his arm in time to block the slash that was aimed for his neck.

The blade drove deep as it made its way through Nick's fur and skin. Blood suddenly sprayed, causing the rabbit to yelp in surprise as the red liquid covered his eyes. Nick, realizing that he had the upper hand, raised his pistol and took aim; with Judy not directly in the way, he could fire and not hurt her. Michael took a couple steps back and swung wildly so he could protect himself should Nick try to tackle him or anything. Nick pulled the trigger three times, only to have the gun jam on the first one.

"FUCK!" screamed Nick as he threw the gun at Michael before going in for a tackle of his own.

Michael heard the click and was relieved that he hadn't died yet. He heard Nick curse and just as he wiped the blood from his eyes, he was hit in the chest by the firearm. The weight of it made him stagger, and before he could recover, he was picked up off of the ground by a powerful tackle. He blinked once as he watched the ceiling grow distant. With a mighty crash, he landed on the ground with Nick next to him. The force of the impact had thrown his knife from his grasp. He had no idea where it was, but now he was at a disadvantage against the fox.

He tried to roll over, only to be stopped by Nick's knee on his chest. Michael glanced up just in time to see a fist violently crash into his jaw.

Nick continued to punch Michael with all his might, even as the bunny lifted his own paws in defense. Nick was in a state of pure rage. His pupils were mere slits, and his teeth were bared to the world in the most savage way possible. A low growling could be heard emanating from deep in his chest as he attacked Michael. Slowly but surely, Nick's punches turn to swipes as his claws unsheathed. Blood began to spray as he tore into the rabbit's arms and face. Nick couldn't control himself as he leaned down and bit into Michael's ear, pulling as hard as he could.

Judy watched with blurred vision and impaired hearing as the two violently fought in the room. She could barely comprehend the whole thing. One thing she did know was that Nick was winning from the screaming and crying coming from Michael.

Michael began to kick and punch at the savage fox on top of him, but to no avail. Nick tugged and tugged until finally, with a horrible shredding sound and the sickly, sweet scent of blood filling his nostrils, he had torn off half of Michael's ear. The sudden lack of resistance caused Nick to fly off of Michael and land on his back. Scrambling as quickly as possible, he got back on all fours and lunged towards Michael once again. Just as he fell onto the rabbit, who had his back turned turn to him, Michael suddenly turned around, and with a flash of steel, a quick scream of pain could be heard.

Hearing that quick sound of distress was enough for Judy grasp onto reality. "Nick? Nick are you okay?" asked Judy, looking around the room. Her eyes quickly fell onto the still form of Nick lying on top of Michael. Judy was about to call out his name when Nick began to rise. With a smile, she watched as he slowly rose even further. Her smile disappeared, though, as he suddenly flopped onto his side as Michael was now sitting up. He was a disgusting mess. His face and arms were bleeding horribly, and his right eye was missing. Judy watched in horror as he reached over and picked up is dismembered ear. He growled angrily before he pulled his knife from Nick's stomach. Now that he was standing up, the twisted rabbit looked down at his bloody knife and ear. After a second, he tossed his ear to the ground and looked at Judy.

"There isn't much time left. Come here, Judy, it's time for round two!" croaked Michael as he stumbled over and grabbed her by the ears. Judy could do nothing as both her and the chair were dragged down the hall of the apartment. Judy began to scream for help. The pain in her ears thanks to the rough handling was unbearable.

"No! No, please! Don't do what ever you are going to do! Someone help me! NICK, HELP ME!" Michael only laughed as her cries for help fell on deaf ears.

"No one is going to save you! You'll be dead by the time anyone shows up!" barked Michael with a victorious tone.

"Nick, help me! Please, someone help me!" Judy continued to scream as they drew closer to what she assumed was his bedroom.

"Bitch, I said shut the fuck up!" Michael shouted.

BANG 

Michael cried out in pain as he fell to his knees, bringing Judy down with him. Judy watched as he held onto the back of his leg and crawled behind her for cover. That did him no good as a flash of orange jumped over her and began to wrestle with him. Judy couldn't see any of the fighting behind her, seeing as she was still immobilized. Instead, she could only listen to the punches being exchanged and the swishing of a blade being swung about. Suddenly, there was a loud crunch of something breaking and a soft thud as a body fell to the floor.

Silence

Silence was all she heard before she suddenly heard someone breathing in her ear.

"Carrots? You okay?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Nick has saved Judy while mutilating Michael in the process.  
> This had been an intense chapter to write and I do hope you all have enjoyed it as much as me. Again a huge thanks to Blenderguy15 for agreeing to help edit this chapter AND editing my entire story, chapter by chapter.  
> Please have a wonderful week!


	15. Those Three Words Part 1

The sound of his voice made her cry on the spot as she felt the tugging and loosening of whatever was holding her paws together. "Shhh, Carro - Judy, I'm here. I won't let him hurt you anymore, I promise!" she could hear Nick coo into her ear, doing his damndest to calm her down as she couldn't stop crying. After a moment, Nick lifted both Judy and the chair back up so he could have a better angle to remove her bindings.

"Oh god Nick, I was so scared! I thought he killed you, and I thought he was going to kill me as well!" cried Judy, her shoulders shaking tremendously. She had never been this scared before - NEVER. The moment her paws were free, she turned around as best as she could and attempted to hug her fox. As she reached for him, her feet refused to move, causing the bunny to fall just short of his torso.

"Hold on, lemme get that for you," Nick said with an eerily calm voice. He quickly helped Judy and the chair sit up again before removing the bindings on the bunny's legs. Judy gasped in horror when all of Nick came into her line of sight.

He was covered in blood, both his and Michael's. Judy's eyes looked him up and down, studying him with a shocked expression. His mouth, paws, and stomach were drenched with the red, copper-scented liquid. Her eyes fell quickly on the large gash in his arm before noticing the growing red stain in his gut. "Nick! You're bleeding horribly!" she yelled. Nick quickly rested his head against her chest, which she immediately hugged close to her body; this action slowly began to calm the bunny down, but Nick's physical condition kept her worrying.

"It's ok Judy. You're going to be fine," Nick soothed. Again, she noticed how strangely calm he was as he finally pulled both her legs free. With one swift motion, he picked Judy up with both arms. Instinctively and without warning, Judy grasped onto his shirt and attempted to hug him close as she curled into a ball. She couldn't hold her emotions in as waves of tears began to roll down her cheek, crying into his chest. Nick brought her as close as possible, even if that meant he was hurting himself as more blood flowed from his stomach.

"Shhh, please stop crying. I don't want to see you like this," Nick continued to whisper as he placed his cheek on top of her head, just between her ears. Try as much as he wanted, Judy did not cease her downpour of tears or shaking as she let everything out. Realizing that this was going to keep on happening, Nick simply hummed "Try Everything" to help calm her down as he carried her to the door.

He managed to open the door without making Judy feeling exposed to the world. He was barely out the door when he saw Chief Bogo and nearly a dozen officers rushing towards him.

"Wilde! Hopps! You both alri…" Bogo trailed off as he took a moment to study the two officers. "My god Wilde! Someone call for an ambulance now, and get a first aid kit!" he ordered as he saw the state Nick was in. Two officers ran back the other way, shouting in their radios as the rest ran past them and into the apartment, well the ones that could fit inside that is.

Nick could hear them giving Michael his rights as they handcuffed and muzzled him. Not once did he acknowledge the sounds as he walked past Bogo with Judy in his arms, still crying.

"Wilde?" Chief Bogo's hard tone softened as he saw the look of fear and relief in their eyes. Again, Nick didn't respond and instead continued to walk towards the staircase and slowly leave Bogo's line of sight. The chief was about to follow them when he heard the sound of cursing from behind him.

"I don't care what happens now! I did everything I needed and I am complete!" came the maniacal laugh, the source being a rabbit who was horribly, disgustingly mauled.

"Shut your tiny mouth!" bellowed Bogo, causing everyone to stop and stare at the massive cape buffalo before them.

"Ahhh Bogo, you finally managed to see me in person, though it's not like it matters anymore. It's finished. I can say that it would have been nice for us to have met in the past few months. Your fur would have been an amazing prize to gaze upon. But alas, you were impossible to catch off guard, never being alone at night, never being in a lone street. Truly saddening." Michael taunted.

Bogo quickly cut him off as he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Don't you dare speak to me! You are going to prison!" Bogo didn't wait for a response as he turned around and left the bunny to the officers keeping him in line.

Nick kept humming for Judy even as he started having trouble breathing; it also didn't help that his legs were so weak that he was ready to collapse. Knowing this, Nick made sure to use all his strength to keep himself standing and giving off that lovely tune Judy was so fond of. Once his feet made contact with the final step of the stairs, he was surrounded by multiple officers and medics. He drowned out their noise as best as he could; he was here for her, for Judy, and didn't want to be separated from her. Fate seemed to have other plans for him as he could no longer feel her weight in his arms. Instead, he felt the sensation of air flowing through his fur as he fell.

"Nick, no! Wake up! Nick, please, wake up!" Judy cried, screaming his name over and over as she sat in the back of the ambulance. The paramedics were hard at work, trying to staunch the bleeding in his abdomen. He had passed out and fell to the asphalt with her in tow. Thankfully, one of the larger officers caught them both and helped carry them over to the nearest ambulance.

"We need to get going now! We're closing the doors, go, go, go!" shouted an armadillo in white.

Judy took one last look out the door and could see Michael laughing as he watched the scene with a twisted glee. Before she could muster a thought, however, the door shut violently and a sudden lurch caused her to look at the front to see that they were now moving. She could hear the dripping of blood, causing her to look back at Nick. There was so much blood dribbling from his stomach and mouth, and the paramedics were spouting words she couldn't understand in her panicked state.

Judy's vision was blurry as her tears filled every crevice of her sight. There was nothing she could do to help Nick as she sat and watched from the sidelines. She became so lost in thought that she almost didn't realize one of the paramedics, a beaver, was shaking her to get her attention.

"Ma'am, let me take a look at that wound on your neck," said the beaver with a concerned look on her face.

"HELP HIM! Forget about me and help him! He's dying! I just have a small pinprick in my neck!" demanded Judy while pointing at her lover.

The beaver could tell she wasn't going to budge and went back to help the armadillo and tiger keeping Nick alive. Judy sat down and placed her head in her paws as she cried and prayed for the fox's safety and good health. The sounds were repetitive and gave a sense of urgency as the paramedics worked hard. Judy's ears picked up on a new noise after a few minutes and looked up, noticing that the paramedics were in an extreme state of worry as they pulled out a defibrillator. Judy's eyes and ears focused, and she saw a long line on the heart monitor and heard the long continuous noise emanating from it.

Judy's expression turned to utter terror as she realized what had happened: Nick's heart had stopped.

"No, no! Nick, please don't die!" Judy cried, jumping out of her seat as she did her best to look at his face. This was made difficult as she couldn't get in the way of the paramedics.

"Clear!" cried one of the mammals in white. With a deafened thump, Judy watched as Nick's body jolted from the shock. Placing her paws over her mouth, Judy was forced to look away at the sight. It was too much for her to watch such a horrific thing being done to her fox.

"Clear!" Again, the sound reverberated throughout the van, causing Judy's spine to turn cold as her ears picked up on every single devastating detail of the procedure.

"Please, make it stop!" cried Judy, starting to hyperventilate as a response to the low sound coming from the machines and the EMT's doing their best to revive Nick.

"We're here! The doctors are ready to take him to the ER!" called the driver as the vehicle slowed to a stop. The moment the ambulance stopped, the door opened with multiple doctors and nurses surrounding the fox and again saying medical things Judy couldn't comprehend at the moment.

Judy jumped out of the back and rushed to follow the entourage of medical staff as they carted Nick into the hospital. "Clear!" the beaver shouted again, followed by the sound of that machine working on Nick's chest.

Beep, beep, beep.

Judy couldn't believe her ears as the dreadful beeps from that machine picked up on his heart once again. Slowly, her breathing began to regulate itself into a rushed but stable rhythm.

"His heart is beating again! Keep her here and someone check her neck!" shouted the doctor as they passed a pair of swinging doors. Judy tried to follow but an otter blocked her path.

"Ma'am, we need you to stay here. They are going to do their best to keep him alive. This I promise!" the otter explained. Judy stared deep into the nurse's eyes before stumbling back and falling into the nearest chair. Not once had she stopped crying since hearing Nick's voice as he removed her bindings. Judy's voice was coarse and sore by now as a nurse wrapped her neck with gauze and a bandage, the cut not being too serious at all.

"Hopps, will you please follow me to the waiting room?" asked the otter, taking the bunny's paw and leading her down the hall, away from Nick. With a heart-wrenching feeling, Judy walked with the otter and soon found herself inside a room filled with officers, and friends. She assumed it would also eventually be filled with family.

Judy couldn't find any words as she stumbled into the waiting arms of Clawhauser and her colleagues as they attempted to comfort her. She cried and cried the entire time, not even noticing that Mr. and Mrs. Otterton, Finnick, and Fru Fru - who was standing in the palm of a very large polar bear in a nice suit - showed up. How could she, crying her eyes out while still in Clawhauser's warm, caring embrace. It took the bunny nearly an hour before her heavy cries turned to soft sobs and she began to take in her surroundings.

She had been worried that they would all look at her like she was some weak and emotional bunny who had no place to be on the force. But that doubt quickly faded as she saw that others had been crying as well. Even Finnick had let out a few tears despite his best attempts to stay strong and generally emotionless. The room was mostly silent save the soft sobs coming from a few of the mammals.

It took some time, but eventually, everyone had calmed down. Most of the officers had to go back to work and left with extreme reluctance. Even then, they promised to be back later that day. Judy watched as Clawhauser had to leave as well. As he exited the room, a vixen walked in past him, giving the cheetah a polite greeting. She appeared to be in her late forties and had the look of someone who had lived a hard life. Her fur was rough and scruff in some places as though they were still growing back.

Judy instantly recognized the vixen from one of the paintings Michael had made. "Mrs. Wilde?" she asked, walking toward her.

"Yes? How do you know my name?" asked Mrs. Wilde as she eyed the bunny curiously, noting the bandages on her neck. "Wait, are you Judy Hopps?"

"Yes I am," Judy said. She was about to continue, but was suddenly picked up by the vixen in a powerful hug.

"So you are the bunny who changed my Nicky's whole life around and made him so happy! Thank you so much for quelling the storm in both of our hearts!" Mrs. Wilde began to cry as she continued to hug the rabbit with all her strength.

"Ahem," came a voice from behind the two mammals. Both Judy and Mrs. Wilde looked over to see Finnick watching the whole thing.

"Finnick! I didn't even see you!" Mrs. Wilde exclaimed as she rushed over. Finnick's eyes went wide with fear as he knew what was about to happen. He tried to get out of his chair but was not fast enough to escape a hug from the vixen.

"It's been too long! So how is he?" Mrs. Wilde asked, quickly changing her tune as she looked at the two.

"We don't know yet, but, but…" Judy began, but she couldn't finish her words as she recalled the horrors she had witnessed in that ambulance. Judy sank into a nearby chair as tears began to roll down her cheeks once again. Mrs. Wilde didn't press the question any further as she sat next to the bunny and comforted her as best as she could.

"Knowing my son, he will somehow manage to hustle Death himself. He is going to be fine, Judy. Trust me. A mother knows these things," Mrs. Wilde said, smiling warmly at the bunny. Judy couldn't help but smile at the notion of Nick selling Death his infamous pawpsicles. It brought a smile to her face as she could easily see the whole fiasco happening.

"I don't doubt that. He always has this way with words," Judy said, smiling as she recalled how well he could talk his way out of trouble and trick con artists to confess while under interrogation. Soon, her memory went to those of the times his sly demeanor had entranced her. Oh god how savage yet gentle he was with his both his words and his body towards her. To think that she may never hear his words again caused her heart to hurt so much.

"Nick told me some pretty serious things about his past - things he has only shared with Finnick," Judy confessed. Mrs. Wilde could only stare at the bunny and watch her eyes look over the rough spots in her own fur.

"He told you about what happened with me?" was all the vixen asked as she began to rub her shoulder, seemingly trying to soothe a dull pain.

"Yes, but he blames himself, not you. You may not believe me but -" Judy was cut off as Mrs. Wilde held up her paw to keep the bunny from talking.

"I know he does. That's why I did my best to kick the drugs and addiction. It wasn't easy, but I did it for him - for my son. I love him and don't want to see him hurting so much because he blames himself," admitted Mrs. Wilde as she leaned in to give Judy a hug again.

"I'm glad to finally meet you by the way, even if this isn't the best of circumstances," Judy smiled weakly as she looked up at the slightly aged vixen

"I feel the same way, but now we must wait," said Mrs. Wilde as she leaned back and started to idly chat with Judy.

…

It was nearly another two hours before a doctor entered the desolate room with only Judy, Fru Fru, her carrier, Finnick and Mrs. Wilde in it. The anteater made his way over to them and caught their attention. "Doctor! How is he? Is he ok? Please tell me he lived!" stuttered Judy as she rushed over to him.

A long moment passed with absolute silence in the room. Judy's heart raced at a breakneck pace as she waited for the doctor's response. The bunny was in complete fear as to what might have happened. Her fears grew worse as she noticed the large amount of blood on the anteater's clothes. Judy clasped her paws over her mouth as the doctor began to speak.

"We did all we could… and I am pleased to say he will make a full recovery! He lost a lot of blood, and his kidney was scraped by the knife. But, with quick and precise surgery, the wounds he had sustained have been closed and are now healing. He is awake right now and waiting for you all. Though, you will have to make the visit short as he does need his rest," the doctor gave a Judy a large smile as he began to lead the emotional group to his room.

It didn't take long for them to make their way to a clean, white room where a certain red fox was very slightly sitting up in his bed. His stomach and right arm were heavily wrapped in bandages, and he was hooked up to a couple machines and an IV bag. Upon hearing the door open, he looked over and made eye contact with some of the mammals, giving them a weak, but as always, signature smile of his. "Hi Mom, Judy, Finnick and Fru Fru!"

He didn't get further than that when Judy ran up and gave him a massive hug and kiss on the lips. She uttered three words that, to Nick, were the whole world. "You dumb fox!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Yeah! Nick lives! Michael is in custody and Judy finally met Mrs. Wilde! Everything is going to be alright!
> 
> These last few chapters have been a blast but also very emotionally difficult thing to write. I just want to say thank you for the kudos and following my story and staying with me and this story this far! You guys are amazing and simply awesome! Feel free to leave comments as they make me so happy to hear your thoughts on my story! Please have a wonderful day or night and I will see in a couple weeks!


	16. Those Three Words Part 2

"Ouch!" cried the fox as his bunny lover hugged a bit too hard, causing some pain to shoot right up his side. Judy gasped and jumped back a look of worry on her face.

"It's okay, Carrots. It just hurt a little, so come here, you emotional bunny, you!" chuckled Nick as he reached out to her, doing his best not to strain his stitches.

"Well, only because you aren't a mess anymore!" Judy teased, stifling a sniffle as she walked over and was embraced in a wonderful hug from her favorite fox. She did her best to not cry, but it was too much: seeing her fox alive and kicking, and that damn smile of his. The bunny began to sob lightly as she felt him kiss the top of her head over and over before finally lifting her head so he could kiss her on the lips.

"I love you, Judy!" exclaimed Nick after reluctantly pulling away from her.

"I know," was all she could muster before she heard someone cough behind them. Both Nick and Judy looked so embarrassed as they turned to the source of the noise.

Before they could say anything, Mrs. Wilde enveloped them both in a tight, motherly hug. "Oh, lil Nicky! I'm so proud and relieved! Knowing that you're okay after risking your life for your partner. Makes me glad to be your mom," Mrs. Wilde gently said, loud enough for the two cops to hear her.

"Thank you Mom, but a quick question: how did you find out about what happened?" asked Nick, unsure of how his mother had found out about the whole ordeal. To keep her from receiving bad news, he had not listed her number on his emergency contacts sheet.

Mrs. Wilde gave him a strangely smug look that made Judy think her think of Nick standing in front of a mirror before she grabbed the remote and turn the TV on.

"In other news, the stand-off between the ZPD and the Butcher of Zootopia had ended earlier today. We covered the entire two hours of the event. Chief Bogo is currently unavailable for comments, but we have received information that the officers responsible for bringing in the Butcher of Zootopia are indeed at the hospital. One is in serious condition while the other's status is unknown, but one thing is certain: the officers are none other than Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, as you can see here from this footage from earlier. Here, let's play it again!" said a snow leopard on the TV screen.

The whole room watched as a shaky camera, most likely from a phone, caught nearly a dozen police vehicles pulling up. A large group of officers, including Chief Bogo, clambered out of the many cruisers. It was strange to see how the world saw the two cops react; not once did Nick or Judy think of the outside world as they fought for their lives. With gut-wrenching anxiety, they watched as they ran up the stairs, disappearing for a moment before a fox was seen carrying a rabbit close to his chest. Even though the footage wasn't that great and one could barely tell what was happening, it was clear that the fox was heavily injured, and the rabbit was crying.

The footage continued all the way to the point where Nick fell and was quickly taken to a nearby ambulance that had just pulled up. Judy watched with horror, forced to relive the whole scene. Michael was soon pulled into the light, but the footage cut off just as his face came into view.

"We will stop the video here as the following images are extremely graphic. It is unknown whether the killer known as Michael Yellowtail is in the hospital or in a jail cell at the moment. He was extremely maimed and injured during the confrontation that occurred between him and Officer Nicholas Wilde. Some are already suspecting police brutality was involved, and whether the forced used was necessary…" Judy quickly turned the TV off as she didn't want to see or hear anymore.

"Is that how you found out, Mrs. Wilde? You saw the video?" asked Judy as she turned towards the vixen.

"Please, call me Sharon, and yes," answered Sharon as she brought them both in for another hug.

A scoffing could be heard as Finnick began to speak up. "A vicious killer is brought into custody, and already they are portraying him as a victim! He damn near killed you, Nick, and they are pointing fingers at you for 'excessive' force!" growled Finnick, using air quotes for further emphasis.

"I understand buddy, but once they see the evidence, there is no way that Michael will get away with this," argued Nick as he leaned back into his bed and yawned. There was a knock on the door, drawing the attention of all the mammal in the room. "Come in!" called Nick, cupping his muzzle with his paw.

To everyone's surprise, one of Mr. Big's polar bears walked in, carrying the crime lord himself. "You're right Nicky. He won't get away with messing my Family!" the shrew said, looking rather grim. His features softened when his daughter gave a happy shriek upon seeing him.

"Daddy! You made it!" called out Fru Fru as her carrier brought her to her dad.

"Of course, sweetheart. Nick is Family; we won't let him take this lying down," Mr. Big's tiny voice said, his tone carrying a lot of weight. It was clear what his plan for Michael Yellowtail was.

"No Mr. Big! Please, let the system do its job! There is no way he will get off; he will go to prison!" begged Judy as she walked up to him.

"What makes you think that?" asked Mr. Big expecting not much of a response. "I know - I own - the courtrooms. I've learned to never trust anyone you haven't paid off."

"He killed and skinned his own brother. No jury will sympathise with him after a fact like that!" stated Judy, firmly believing her own words.

"You have a good point, yes, but always stay alert. Double-crossing is rather popular in the court system. You also can't forget the possible case against Wilde about excessive force," said Mr. Big, giving the bunny an inquisitive look.

"I'll keep that in mind, Sir," Judy said, her face set with determination.

Mr. Big chuckled. "That's the Judy I know and love," he said as he held out his arms. Judy leaned forward, and he kissed her cheeks. "We'll leave you two to rest. Remember what I said: that Michael character isn't quite finished yet." With that, the shrew snapped his fingers, and the polar bear turned and exited the room.

"I don't know how you do it Judy, but you always get him to not ice anyone!" praised Fru Fru after the crime lord left.

"Umm, excuse me, but it's time for Mr. Wilde to get some sleep!" called an overly chipper lioness nurse. Everyone gave Nick some quick goodbyes before leaving the room. The nurse escorted them back to the waiting room where everyone sat and waited, idly chatting the time away till the sun slowly began to fall from the afternoon sky.

"Mrs. Wilde, can I ask you a question?" Judy timidly asked, glancing at the vixen.

"Please, call me Sharon. And you just did!" chuckled Sharon as she teased the rabbit.

"I see where Nick gets his quick wit from! But yeah, I wanted to know why Nick's call to your phone didn't go through?" asked Judy as she looked Nick's mom in the eye.

"Oh um, well, Finnick and I were out getting a new phone since I broke mine last night," Sharon admitted as she looked away.

"How did it break?" asked Judy, doing her best to create some small talk.

"Finnick here was showing me how to use the internet on it when I… uh dropped it," answered Sharon hesitantly.

"How'd you drop it?" asked the curious bunny.

"Oh, umm, well, between you, me, and Finny: he dropped on one knee and proposed to me!" Sharon could barely hide her excitement as she showed off the ring. "It was so sudden that I dropped my phone!"

Noticing the action, Judy looked over at Finnick who was staring at the two. He was mostly focused on Mrs. Wilde, though. "Mrs. Wil… I mean Sharon, how long has this been going on?" Judy asked, barely hiding her joy as well.

"We started dating a month after the whole... ummm... 'mess' of mine, and I haven't had the time to talk to Nicky about it," admitted Sharon. "He was there when Nick was helping the city and was so kind. He would help me with many everyday tasks, from carrying groceries to fixing broken items in the house. One thing led to another, and soon enough, he was staying the night…" Sharon was interrupted by Judy's outstretched paw.

"I think I get it. I honestly don't need to know about your love life," chuckled Judy as her ears began to flush a bit.

"We're girls, we talk about these things!" Sharon shared a laugh as she watched Judy pull her ears down to cover her face.

"Look at it this way: do you want me to tell you about my experiences with your son?" Judy gave a question that was meant to stop the subject.

"Only if you want to," replied Mrs. Wilde with an all-too-familiar grin.

"Ugh, why must your family be so good at teasing me!" groaned Judy as she plopped her head onto the arm of her chair.

"You really are easy to get riled up!" giggled Sharon before continuing. "Nicky was right: you are just too c - Oh, I'm sorry!" gasped the aged vixen as she clasped her paws over her muzzle.

"It's alright, I've gotten used to it. Besides, you should hear the things the criminals say to me when I'm on duty," Judy mentioned, dismissively waving her own paw in the air.

"Yeah, Nick has told me so many wonderful and thrilling stories. He even told me about the fiasco that was the undercover operation!" Sharon exclaimed, a bright smile on her face that beamed with so much life that had she not known any better, Judy would never have guessed the vixen to be a former drug addict.

"HE TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT?!" the bunny cried, her face turning bright red as she brought her ears down over her face to cover the blushing.

"Yeah, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. I thought it was a wonderful story. You two were made for each other. Isn't that right, Finny?!" called Sharon as she looked over to the small but intimidating fennec fox.

"Yeah, as much as I hated it at first, I have to admit you two were - and I use this word lightly - 'destined' to be together," Finnick said, a small smirk on his muzzle. No matter how many times he spoke, Judy was always caught off-guard with how deep the small fox's voice was.

"Wow, Finnick himself saying destined is certainly something else!" said a surprised Judy.

Finnick opened his mouth to make a retort when a buffalo suddenly walked up to the group. "Chief!" called Judy as she stood up off the chair and saluted him.

"Hopps, calm down. I'm here to talk with you and Nick in a bit," explained Bogo as he looked down at her. "I'm here to let you know that since both you and Wilde have sustained several injuries - some of them almost fatal - I'm giving you two leave. Think of is as paid vacation for at least two weeks; otherwise, I don't care and you don't get paid anything extra. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to discuss with Officer Wilde about the whole deal. His wire was cut during the struggle!" Bogo didn't wait for a response as he headed down the hallway towards Nick's room. "By the way, you two are to never be separated while working. From now on, you two are partners again."

Judy could only watch as her boss turned the corner. "Nick and I, partners again? But with at least two weeks of paid vacation. I'm going to be miserable with nothing to do!" shouted Judy as she leaned back into the chair in a defeated manner.

"It's alright. You will just have to take care of lil Nicky for me. I'm sure he is a pawful - more than enough to keep you busy," Sharon said, doing her best to cheer up the slightly upset bunny still sitting next to her.

"Yeah, he is. I guess I will have something to do for a while," Judy agreed to what Sharon had to say. Two weeks of recuperation from work might be exactly what they both needed. Judy sighed as she leaned back in seat even further.

"Well, me and the Cub Scout need to go. I'll be back tomorrow!" Sharon stood up as she looked over at Finnick.

"You know I'm no Cub Scout," Finnick groaned before turning to Judy. "I'll see you tomorrow officer."

"Have a good night, Mrs. Wilde and Finnick!" called Judy, waving. The aged vixen and fennec fox waved back before disappearing around a corner.

Judy was now alone in the room as she waited for Bogo to return. She listened to the clock that ticked for what seemed like hours until she heard Bogo's heavy footsteps.

"Chief!?" she called out.

"I talked with him and the nurse and got what I needed. The nurse said you may stay the night in the room. You will be given a rabbit sized chair to sit in. Have a nice evening," said the buffalo quickly before leaving.

Judy had no time to respond before she was greeted by a ferret who kindly asked her to follow him. The bunny didn't object and was led to Nick's room once again. She opened the door, anxious of what may have happened to him while she was gone. Luckily, nothing had changed since she was last here. Nick had a very serious look on his face, though he changed his tune and gave his bunny a smile as she entered.

"Back for more? Well, I'll do my best to give you all I can!" said Nick with a wink.

"Shut up Nick!" chuckled Judy who crossed the room to sit in the fox-sized chair. She would have to wait til the rabbit one arrived, but she didn't really want it. This chair allowed her see Nick face to face.

"I think I will stick with this chair," Judy made sure to tell the ferret before he had left. With a nod, the nurse left and closed the door behind him.

"How you doing, Carrots?" Nick asked quickly as to avoid being questioned.

"I'm doing much better, and so is your mother!" admitted Judy, staring deep into his bright green eyes.

"Is she?" asked Nick, curious as to why she would mention that.

"Well, you were bound to find out tomorrow…" started Judy as she carried a heavy smile, "She's getting married!"

"Whaaaaat! With who!?" Nick yelled as he sat up quickly. "Ouch!" Too quickly perhaps as his stomach screamed in pain. The pain didn't prepare him for what Judy would say next, either.

"Nick, it's Finnick!" Judy exclaimed. She could have sworn she heard the monitor stop for a split second as Nick stared at her with a dumbfound look on his face.

"Whaaaaaat!?" cried Nick, clearly and utterly shocked.

"This is going to be a long night," thought Judy as she mentally laughed at Nick's surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> Finnick and Sharon getting married?! :3
> 
> Mr. Big showed up has also showed up and gave a grim warning.
> 
> How will Michael's trial go? Find out in later chapters!
> 
> Well I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Please have a wonderful day or night


	17. Those Three Words Part 3

Sensitive Material Ahead

2 Days Later

"Finally, I am free of that hospital!" cried Nick as he entered the motel room provided by Judy's parents. The room was small for anything larger than a fox, and the bed was old and creaked a lot as the springs were quite aged and rusty. The wallpaper was rather dull and faded, and the carpet was stained with who knows what. Besides the bed, the only other furnishings in the room were a bedside drawer and one beaten up TV stand with an old antenna TV set right on top.

The curtains that hung over the window were old and torn in some places, as well. The sun was just starting to dip just past the skyscrapers of Zootopia. Surprisingly, the room smelled wonderfully clean, the faint scent of lemon tickling the couple's noses. The sheets on the bed were pure white with decorative blue flowers sewn into the edges. The bathroom was an entirely different matter, and Judy made a mental note to always keep it closed and spray it with freshener before and after using it.

Despite all the obvious flaws and small list of redeeming qualities, they didn't mind; it was home for the both of them for who knows how long till they felt ready to head back there. Judy walked behind Nick, carrying his luggage as he still had his arm in a sling.

"I'm so glad my parents paid for this. I don't think I can head home, not yet at least," Judy commented, looking down at the floor after putting his bags next to the bed. Nick nodded in agreement as he sat down on the bed.

"Still can't believe my mother is going to marry Finnick. Just... I don't even know what to say!" exclaimed Nick as he used his good arm to help Judy with the clothes. It didn't take long before they put away their spare clothes in the drawers built into the bed itself.

"Yeah, I've never seen you so confused. It was rather cute to see you not be able to handle a situation like that," chuckled Judy as she put away Nick's last shirt.

"It will take time to get used to the idea of call Finnick Dad," he chuckled awkwardly. "So weird being on the other end," commented Nick, visibly shuddering at the thought.

"Well, at least you're more accepting of this. Not many mammals could tolerate such a predicament. I'm proud of you, Nick," Judy said, giving Nick a tight hug.

"Thank you Judy. It means so much to hear you say those words. It also means so much more to see that you're just fine," said Nick with a soft voice. He leaned forward and stroked Judy's cheek as he looked at her neck. He was happy to see that the tiny cut had healed overnight the day she got it, but his own wounds were a different matter. It was going to be a long time before he was allowed back on the streets as an officer, and as Judy's partner.

"Trying to be slick, are ya? Well too bad: doctor's orders say you need your rest!" teased Judy before placing a kiss on his lips. "Though, a movie and a nice huge bowl of salad would be wonderful!"

"Well played, Carrots, but I can't help but fall for the rabbit who helped me decide she was more important to me than my own life. Besides, that movie and salad night will have to wait until after your parents visit us in a bit. I need to thank them for the room, and for you," Nick complimented, using his charming skills with words and that slyly warm smile to butter his bunny up.

"Barely even two days have past since nearly dying on me, and you're trying to butter me up?" giggled Judy as Nick placed gentle kisses up and down her neck.

"I doubt butter will make you taste any better than you do right now!" Nick complimented as he continued his assault.

"Oh stop, you! Seriously, I'm not sending you back to the hospital because you were antsy tonight," Judy scolded, reluctantly pushing Nick back. She gave him a big smile. "Tell you what: once you you get back to work and the doctor clears you for some "exercise," we can spend all night together," suggested Judy, flicking Nick on the forehead as he leaned back in for a kiss.

"But that will be a couple weeks!" whined Nick as he rubbed his forehead with his left arm.

"I love you too!" said Judy before reaching over to grab her wallet and keys.

"Where you going?" asked Nick just as she reached the door.

"Going to get us a light comedy movie and grab that salad. My parents will be here before I get back. Have fun!" answered Judy as she closed the door, but not before blowing Nick a kiss.

"That bunny will be the death of me," chuckled Nick as he realized how morbidly true that statement was. "Still can't believe I was dead for nearly three minutes!"

Nick couldn't help but think back to what he did to Michael in their apartment, and how he wouldn't change one bit of it. The desire to save his mate from that deranged rabbit was the most powerful feeling Nick felt he had ever experienced. It was without a doubt the purest feelings and rush of instincts that had taken hold of him. Nick grabbed the remote on the bedside table and turned the TV on as he leaned against the wall and sat on the bed.

He flipped through the channels as he tried to remove the thoughts and nightmares that had plagued him since he first carried Judy out of that apartment. He was sickened with the fear of what might have happened had he died. He was sure the rest of the force would have stopped Michael - or himself - before either of them did any more damage. They were, after all, on the scene just moments after the fox had fired those first shots.

It amazed Nick how long a couple minutes could feel in such a situation. His heart began to race as he thought of all the things that could have gone wrong. His heart was beating faster and faster as each thought that passed through his mind was worse than the last. He was nearly in tears when a knocking came from the door.

Taking a deep breath to get control of his body, Nick called out to the visitor. "Hello? Who's there?"

"It's us, Bonnie and Stu!" called a voice slightly muffled by the door. Nick recognized the voice before he even heard the names and was quick to get out of the bed and head to the door. It took him a moment to open the door with his left and non-dominant paw, but once it was opened, he was face to face with Judy's parents once again.

"Uh, hi there, Mr. and Mrs. Hopps! It's a pleasure to meet you again after so long!" greeted Nick with a slightly nervous pitch caught in his throat.

"Please, call me Stu," Stu corrected, quick to stop Nick in his tracks. "When Bonnie and I saw that news report the other day - saw the way you carried our daughter to safety even though you were on the verge of death - we realized that you could be trusted. Then she told us about how you fought that killer and carried our girl to safety. We can't thank you enough for all you have done. I may have not approved of you when we first found out about you two, and god knows I still didn't when you two together after that week. But seeing you nearly die for my daughter - a rabbit, and you a fox. Well, I was wrong. You are perfect for my little Jude!" Stu explained, tears stinging at his eyes.

"Mr. Hopps, sir," Nick began but was cut off once again as Stu held up his paw.

"Nick, call me Stu," sniffled Stu as Bonnie stepped forward.

"We may have had very mean thoughts about foxes ever since the incident with Gideon Grey, but him changing and you risking your life for our Judy have proven to us that we were wrong to hold these prejudices against foxes and you," stated Bonnie as she gave Nick a sudden, yet gentle hug.

"Are… Are you guys apologizing to me?" asked Nick, stunned at the situation.

"Yes, we are. We are also here to let you know that we are fully behind what you two stand for and will become!" answered Stu as he also hugged Nick, careful to not hurt the injured fox.

"Ummm about that: Michael's trial was moved to next week. It was requested by him of all people and surprisingly, it was accepted. After this whole thing is over, I… I wish to have more than just dating your daughter," Nick stuttered as he tried to focus on what to say.

"Nick, what are you saying?" asked both Bonnie and Stu as they let go of the fox.

"Will you please sit down?" asked Nick as he pointed to the bed.

Bonnie and Stu glance at each other before they quickly walked over to the bed. Once they sat down, Nick shut the door behind him as he turned to face them. They could see a twinkle in his eye as he tried his best to hold back his own tears.

"What's wrong, Nick?" asked Stu as he grew concerned for the fox.

Nick's chest began to compress in on itself making it hard to breathe. His palms were sweaty, and his paws were clenched up in fists. What felt like an apple was caught in his throat - he could barely speak. "Would… Wo… W…" He began, his voice trailing off. With a deep breath, Nick tried again and spoke what was on his mind.

"Would you grant me your blessing in asking for your daughter's paw in marriage?" blurted Nick as the tears ran free. "I love her more than anything - more than life itself! I can't imagine a world without her!"

Nick was met with dead silence. He caught his breath and sputtered a bit as his tears continued to flow, but there was no response from either bunny sitting on the bed. Both Bonnie and Stu held that look of quiet confusion as they regarded the crying fox before them.

Then, just as Nick thought that all was lost for his chance with Judy, Bonnie squealed with excitement and Stu's jaw dropped in shock. Nick took a couple steps towards them as they both jumped up and rushed him in excitement. Stu shook Nick's paw and Bonnie tightly hugged the fox, giving him a kiss on the cheek afterwards.

"Of course! You have more than proven your worth in my eyes!" exclaimed Stu, having trouble containing his own river of tears.

"I honestly couldn't and wouldn't see Judy with anyone else. You will be a wonderful husband. I look forward to hearing that call from our lil Jude about the proposal!" shouted Stu as he took a step back to look at his soon-to-be son-in-law.

"I'm so relieved you're letting me do this!" Nick exclaimed, wearing the biggest smile on his face as he sat down on the bed. His legs became Jell-O thanks to the excitement. Both Bonnie and Stu sat down next to him, patting him gently on the back.

"We're proud of you Nick, for everything you've done for our little girl. When the time comes, we will accept you with open arms into the Hopps clan!" cheered Bonnie before the two rabbits stood up.

Nick glanced between the two rabbits. "You can't leave now. Judy hasn't seen you guys yet!" he exclaimed with a bit of disappointment.

"We'll be back, Nick," Stu chuckled as he led Bonnie towards the door. "We just need to check in to our rooms so we can stay the night before heading back. Our daughter couldn't have chose a better mammal to be with. Please take care of her when we're not around." Stu smiled and led Bonnie out the door.

"I always have and always will! You can count on me, one hundred percent!" called out Nick just before the door closed. Nick smiled as his tears of joy slowly dried, and his heart calmed down. He turned back to the TV and went over to find the DVD player.

"Wait, where's the DVD player? I could have sworn that Judy said that there was some sort of DVD player after she had checked this place out earlier," thought Nick as he sat back down on the bed and flipped through the channels. He was slightly annoyed that he was now gonna have to find a movie on this sad TV.

…

Nick was still lying in bed watching a rerun of an episode of Zootopia's Wildest Police Chases when he heard the door unlock and open up. He turned his gaze to see Judy holding a couple bags and no movie. "I remembered that we didn't have a DVD player just as I went to pay for the movie!" groaned Judy as she placed one of the bags down to close and lock the door behind her.

"What's with the second bag?" asked Nick, pointing to said object.

"Oh just lady things. We forgot to grab them yesterday from our apartment, so I just grabbed some basics: deodorant, scent represent, and…"

"Ok, ok, I get it Judy. Don't need to get into the details," stated Nick as he cut her off with a held-up paw.

"Where are my parents?" asked Judy, trying to change the subject as she looked around for the other two rabbits.

"We chatted for a bit before they left to get checked in," Nick explained, keeping the special details a secret. "They said that they'll be back later."

"That's great! I'm glad you are all getting along now," Judy said giving Nick a quick smile before reaching down to grab the bag she had placed on the ground. Judy suddenly felt a wave of nausea pass over her, causing her to stumble a bit.

"Judy! You ok?" asked a concerned Nick, who quickly got out of bed and went straight to her.

"I'm fine Nick, I'm just tired and might be sick. You know how I feel about hospitals: full of sick people. I probably just caught something - should be over by tomorrow morning," assured Judy as she reached over and picked up the bag again. With a sly grin, she shoved the first bag - containing their massive salad-to-share - towards Nick. He was quick to respond and used is good arm to carry it to the bed.

"Good news, though! I was surfing the channels and Napolion Dynamite is coming on in thirty minutes!" said Nick, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Oh, I never seen that movie. Is it any good?" asked Judy as she placed the second bag in a corner of the room.

"I don't know, but I heard it was a funny movie," Nick shrugged, just excited to have something promising to watch on the TV.

"Well, we won't know till we watch it," said Judy as she hopped on the bed and patted the empty spot next to her, "Let's relax and hold each other until then!"

Nick didn't hesitate as he put the bag on the nightstand and quickly and carefully climbed into bed with the bunny. Once Nick was in a comfortable position, Judy gently wrapped her arms around him and leaned against him. Nick was quick to use his left arm to wrap around the rabbit nuzzling his chest, pulling her closer so he wrap his tail around her and complete the loving embrace. Nick watched as Judy slowly closed her eyes, and though he wouldn't say it out loud for her sake, he thought she looked so darn cute.

Nick decided to let her slowly fall asleep, knowing that with Michael's trial starting next week, she was going to need all the sleep she can get. He did too, but he could wait.

It didn't take long until Judy's soft snoring could be heard. Nick slowly petted her with both his tail and paw as she involuntarily pulled him closer. Nick was in love with this dumb bunny, and she was in love with this even dumber fox. With a content sigh, Nick turned the TV off and thought about what life would be like after he proposed to her. The look of anger she would have would be undeniable. She always hated "traditional" relationships, argueing that the norms were slowly breaking. Nick wanted to do this on his own terms - not hers - even if it was gonna get him a possible bruise or two. Without realizing it, Nick began to dream as his own snores filled the room.

Nick's dreams were filled to the brim with joy and happiness as he imagined the wedding, adopted kits - cubs, whatever they agreed on - growing old, talking about the wonderful days. He realized that this dream was becoming a reality - a perfect way to end the day. Close to the one he loved - his soon-to-be fiance - in a cheap motel.

Nick subconsciously reached out to pull his bunny closer to him, only to grab at nothing. With a slight whine, he continued his search until he slammed his paw into the wall, forcing him out of his blissful sleep. "Ouch!"

He quickly opened his eyes and looked over to see if he had woken up Judy. His eyes fell upon an empty spot next to him. Nick sat up slowly as he looked around the dark apartment, his eyes moving about until they fell on a light peeking through the bathroom door. Suddenly, Nick's nose picked up on a strong scent of urine. He couldn't help but think that Judy had to use the restroom suddenly and might not have made it in time. Oh, the laughs he would have if this was true.

He slid out of bed and began to head to the ever-so-slightly opened door when he heard a sound he hadn't expected. As he drew closer at a slower pace, he could hear the unexpected sound better. Nick couldn't believe his ears: soft crying could be heard from inside the bathroom.

Pulling the door open, Nick could see Judy on her paws and knees, trying her hardest to not release a torrent of loud wailing and tears. "Judy? What's wrong!" asked a terrified Nick.

"Oh god, no! It can't be true!" began Judy before another wave of sobbing overtook her. She started to hug herself as her ears laid flat against her head and back.

"Judy, what's wrong? What's going on, are you ok?" Nick's own voice began to raise as the sight of Judy crying like this confused and scared him.

"It can't be. I didn't want it to be true. Nick I'm scared, I don't… We never could..." Again, Judy broke down as the heavy crying finally broke free. She tossed something against the wall, only for it to fall harmlessly onto the ground. Nick payed no attention to it as he dropped to his own knees and pulled the crying rabbit closer to him.

"JUDY WHAT IS WRONG! PLEASE TELL ME, I'LL DO MY BEST TO HELP!" yelled Nick, on the verge of freaking out himself. She wouldn't make eye contact as Nick held her close, trying his best not to completely lost it.

"Nick, you can't help. Michael, he must have…" Judy started before she suddenly stopped long enough for Nick to grow concerned enough to ask his question one last time.

"What did he do? I don't understand, what are you talking about?" demanded Nick as he began to look around the bathroom.

Judy spoke only three words, but the weight they carried hit harder than any bullet, cut deeper than any sharp blade. They stung, they destroyed. Nick dreamed of hearing these words, but not like this, not in this situation. The news crippling him worse than paralysis, Nick sat there, recalling the words spoken by Michael that indiscernible, lingering scent he had picked up back when he confronted the killer rabbit. Words and smells that had confused and angered him at first.

"Damn! If only she had been awake earlier!"

"Oh, she IS mine!"

"Come here, Judy, it's time for round two!"

Nick understood every word spoken, and with a dark realisation, he understood what that smell was as well. Emotions the fox could never, ever, EVER get close to describing overtook him. Nick's eyes fell onto the object that Judy had thrown, only to see the bathroom was littered with well over half a dozen of them. He never wanted this to happen, not like this. His world had been completely turned upside down by three little words. He would never forget those three words for as long as he lived - never.

"Nick, I'm pregnant!"

"Judy, I'm here for you. No matter what happens, I'll be here to make you feel safe when ever I can!" Nick said, terrified, but he wanted her to calm down. Those three words stung, but he loved her too much to let anything tear them apart.

"I'm scared, Nick!" cried Judy as she looked him in the eyes.

"I am too, Judy," admitted Nick as he pulled her closer to his chest. He gently kissed the top of her head, repeating words of love and care. Slowly but surely, she slowed her heavy crying to soft sobs.

"I love you," said Nick as he wiped away her tears as she leaned into him.

 

 

To be continued!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((((Author's Notes))))
> 
> I must say this again, I do not condone such disgusting acts or murder, anyone who does such things is a monster and should be punished.
> 
> What an ending, what an ending I must say. I never would have gotten this far had it not been for you guys and gals...
> 
> Funny thing is I never planned on having two stories to do one story, but the way this story was going I had to end it here so it wouldn't feel dragged on.
> 
> Also I did some research and did some math. In order for Bonnie and Stu to have over 270 kids when Judy was nine that would mean they had a litter of 7-9 on average every month. I will keep the same idea in mind, so basically Judy is not going to have a 9 month pregnancy it will be done in a month.
> 
> That's all I will be revealing for the next story and a huge shout out to Blenderguy15 for editing my entire story, he has be so helpful with me and my story.
> 
> I can't possibly thank him enough! I don't have much more to say other than please leave a review on what you thought of the story. :)
> 
> Please have a wonderful day or night where ever you are.
> 
> Hello I just wanted to let you all know that my sequel is out on Fanfiction already and I will be adding that to this site here in a week or so. This story has been actually done for a while now and I am slowly shifting a lot of my stories over to here.
> 
> I have to thank you all so much for your appreciation and comments and kudos and bookmarks! I never would have made it this far without all of you supporting me. Just many, many, many thanks from me to you!
> 
> You guys and gals are what keep me going! And Zootopia as well XD
> 
> A huge shout out to BlenderGuy15 for editing my entire story, go check out his stories if you can! He deserves some love!
> 
> The sequel is called Trial and Tribulations of a Different Kind and it is out for your viewing pleasure and soon I will have it here as well!
> 
> Some things that helped inspire me when I was writing was music, the song You're Mine by Disturbed was a huge motivator for the fight between Nick and Michael. The fluff scenes were heavily inspired by songs such as Celine Dion's song My Heart Will Go On. Avenged Sevenfold was also a huge muse for listening to just throughout the whole story, same with Halestorm and Sam Smith

**Author's Note:**

> Judy has driven past the biggest case Zootopia will probably see for nearly 100 years as a wolf had just been murdered and now being skinned as though they were mere sport and a trophy, the killer it seems he has an obsession with Judy Hopps for some reason.
> 
> Leave a review if this story was not able to catch your attention and why so I can grow better as a writer.
> 
> And as always please have a great day!


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